With the economy in ruins and aid in short supply, survivors of the earthquake in this remote stretch of eastern Afghanistan wonder what their next move could be.
Tag Archives: Taliban
In Afghan Quake: ‘I Did Not Expect to Survive’
As aid workers and volunteers rushed to help, survivors told harrowing tales of death and destruction.
Devastating Earthquake in Afghanistan Leaves More Than 1,000 Dead
The quake — the deadliest in the country in two decades — was the latest in a string of tragedies to affect the country since the Taliban seized power from the U.S.-backed government last summer.
Afghanistan Tries to Stamp Out Opium Again
The multibillion-dollar trade has survived previous bans. Now, the Taliban are going after solar-powered water pumps to try to dry up poppy crops in the middle of a national economic crisis.
The Taliban Pressure Women in Afghanistan to Cover Up
The militant group in charge of the country is aggressively enforcing a decree requiring coverings from head to toe and crushing rare public protests against the order.
In Afghanistan, Collecting Scrap Metal Is a Risky Pursuit
Discarded metal left by decades of conflict has become a livelihood for impoverished Afghans. But many have been killed by unexploded munitions.
Eid Under the Taliban Shows a Changed Afghanistan
For many Afghans the holiday this week served as a reminder of the dissonance between the promise of peace many had imagined and the realities of the end of the war.
Taliban Impose Head-to-Toe Coverings for Women
A new decree recommends, but doesn’t require that women wear burqas, and says male relatives of those who don’t cover themselves would be punished.
‘I Lost Everything’: Pakistani Airstrikes Escalate Conflict on Afghan Border
The airstrikes killed at least 45 people, stoking fears of a violent resurgence of the conflict in eastern Afghanistan, which has become a base for Pakistani militants.
The Casualties at the Other End of the Remote-Controlled Kill
Capt. Kevin Larson was one of the best drone pilots in the U.S. Air Force. Yet as the job weighed on him and untold others, the military failed to recognize its full impact. He fled into the California wilderness.
Taliban Take On a Treacherous, Avalanche-Prone Pass
After overthrowing the government, the Taliban are now trying to save what’s left of the roads they spent years blowing up, with none more critical than a two-mile-high pass through the Hindu Kush.
Taliban Outlaw Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan
The move will have far-reaching consequences for the many farmers who turned to the illicit crop as a brutal drought and economic crisis have gripped the country.
Desperate for Cash, Afghans Toil in Mines That Are Deadlier Than Ever
Faced with life-threatening hunger, thousands labor in the coal mines of Baghlan. But safety measures that the former government once provided are gone.
‘The Dreams We Had Are Like a Dream’
Conversations with Afghan girls about how life has changed under Taliban rule.
A Bomb Crater as Business Partner for a Pit Stop on an Afghan Highway
Along a lonely stretch of what was once the most dangerous road in Afghanistan, everyone slows down when they reach Hafiz Qadim’s mud brick shop. It’s not the food. Or the gas. It’s the big hole.
Taliban Renege on Promise to Open Afghan Girls’ Schools
The reversal of the plan to reopen high schools this week could threaten aid at a critical time, as international officials had made girls’ education a condition for greater assistance.
Rival Sept. 11 Victims Near Potential Deal to Divide Afghan Central Bank Assets
But another group opposes it. A court has not yet decided whether $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank funds can be used to pay Taliban debts.
Pakistan’s Cricket-Star-Turned-Prime Minister Fights for Survival
Soaring inflation and a rift with the military threaten Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister. He has dismissed criticism as a foreign conspiracy.
Afghan Aviators Hide as Taliban Urge Them to Return to Duty
Many former Afghan Air Force members fear they could be killed by the Taliban if they came out of hiding, but others have joined the nascent Taliban air force.
Afghan Embassy, Now Out of Money, Will Shut Down, U.S. Says
The development caps a sad saga for Afghan diplomats, who have 30 days to apply to remain in the United States or face the threat of deportation.
The Smugglers’ Paradise of Afghanistan
For decades, the smuggling trade — of people, drugs and money — has dominated Nimruz Province. Now, as hundreds of thousands of Afghans try to flee, business has further boomed for those who hold the keys to the gate.
Taliban Search Operation Echoes Resented U.S. Tactics in Afghanistan
An intrusive sweep that has spanned several provinces risks alienating Afghans and fueling the insurgency the new government is trying to stop.
The One Item They Had to Take When These 6 Afghans Fled
More than 120,000 people were airlifted out of Afghanistan last August, most with just a few hours to gather their belongings. Here are some of the keepsakes they chose.
U.S. Eases Sanctions to Allow Routine Transactions With Afghan Government
The move allows financial dealings with civil servants at government institutions, even if those ministries are now overseen by Taliban members.
To Preserve Its Own Stability, Pakistan Must Stabilize Afghanistan First
Analysts say that the Taliban takeover has sparked a spike in terror attacks that have put the Pakistani government in a difficult position as it tries to support Afghanistan’s new government.
A Journalist Went Undercover as a Refugee. It Became an Act of Love
To better understand the plight of Afghan refugees, the reporter Matthieu Aikins undertook a journey with one. “The Naked Don’t Fear the Water” tells the story.
Afghans Find Room for Debate on Twitter Spaces
An audio live chat feature on Twitter has become a go-to place for Afghans still recovering from the collapse of the former government and seeking answers on everything from what went wrong to what comes next.
Afghan Diplomats Seek Permission to Remain in U.S.
American banks have suspended government accounts to prevent the Taliban from gaining access to funds, suspending the salaries of many workers.
Biden’s Decision on Frozen Funds Stokes Anger Among Afghans
“It is a cruel act and a betrayal,” one shopkeeper said of the White House’s move to essentially seize funds held by the Afghan central bank.
Taliban Are Holding 2 Westerners Working for U.N., Agency Says
The two former journalists and their Afghan colleagues were detained in the Afghan capital in recent days. The Taliban have not confirmed or explained.
Biden Moves to Split $7 Billion in Frozen Afghan Funds
The president intends to use the Afghan central bank’s assets to fund humanitarian relief and other needs in Afghanistan, and compensate victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Afghanistan’s Health Care System Is Collapsing Under Stress
Hospitals and clinics are struggling to hold up amid a cash shortage and a vast surge of malnutrition and disease. By one estimate, 90 percent may close in the next few months.
Afghan Refugees Face Two-Tier System in Europe
Educated elites evacuated to Europe after the Taliban’s return are welcomed, but they struggle with their lives in exile, even as their poorer compatriots are shunned.
More Than a Million Afghans Flee as Economy Collapses
Thousands of Afghans are trying to sneak into Iran and Pakistan each day, as incomes have dried up and life-threatening hunger has become widespread.
On Patrol: 12 Days With a Taliban Police Unit in Kabul
Tasked with guarding a Shiite shrine, a police unit offers a telling snapshot of the Taliban’s rank-and-file fighters and the challenges Afghanistan’s rulers face in governing a diverse nation.
Threatened and Beaten, Afghan Women Defy Taliban With Protests
The Taliban have begun cracking down harder as women insist on their rights and as Western governments call for reforms.
‘Why Was I Born a Girl?’ An Afghan Poem Inspires U.S. Students
A Zoom connection between high schoolers in Afghanistan and San Diego opens a window for mutual support.
Drone Strike Video Shows Killing of Civilians in Afghanistan
The New York Times obtained footage of the botched strike in Kabul, whose victims included seven children, through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
How Best to Ease the Crisis in Afghanistan
Responses to an essay that urged the U.S. to cooperate with the Taliban to save Afghan lives. Also: Justice Gorsuch, maskless; toxic masculinity.
Let Innocent Afghans Have Their Money
Afghanistan is on the verge of collapse.
The Taliban Have Staffing Issues. They Are Looking for Help in Pakistan.
Government jobs are given as patronage to ex-fighters and exiles living quietly in Pakistan. But not all possess the technical skills required for the job.
The U.S. Must Work With the Taliban in Afghanistan
Kneecapping the government through continued sanctions and frozen aid won’t change the fact that the Taliban are now in charge.
U.S. Military Focusing on ISIS Cell Behind Attack at Kabul Airport
The suicide bomber who killed nearly 200 people, including 13 U.S. troops, had been freed from prison by the Taliban days before the attack.
Ashraf Ghani, Former Afghan President, Says He Fled Nation to ‘Save Kabul’
In his first interview since escaping Afghanistan as the Taliban advanced on the capital, Ashraf Ghani defended himself against charges that he abandoned his country in its hour of need.
11 Years After Trying to Kill Each Other, a Marine and a Talib Meet Again
A Times reporter who once served in the Marines returned to the site of a major battle in Afghanistan to see what’s changed since the Taliban took over — and to meet a commander he once fought.
After Chaotic Evacuation, Afghans in the Netherlands Struggle to Find Stability
Many Afghans evacuated to the Netherlands have been living in tents for months, as they prepare to resettle in a Europe that is wrangling with a heated debate about immigration.
An Afghan Official Laments What Was Lost and Looks to What Lies Ahead
Ahmad Nader Nadery spent decades working toward a thriving, free Afghanistan. Watching the Taliban undo much of his work, he wonders how to move forward.
U.S. Eases Pressure of Sanctions on Afghanistan
The Treasury Department issued new “general licenses” to help aid flow as a humanitarian crisis deepens.
At Bagram Air Base, a Notorious Prison Lies Empty
Taliban fighters now guard the prison at Bagram Air Base, which once held thousands of Taliban and Al Qaeda members who were set free in August.
‘The Decision of My Life’: Part 2
She was being forced to marry a Taliban member. Then she ran away.