Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule: Five Years Of Crisis, Isolation, And Growing Resistance

Kabul: Five years of Taliban rule have brought changes to Afghanistan, but not the ones many Afghans hoped for. Though roadside bombs and violent clashes between warring factions have largely subsided, the country faces a profound economic crisis, a severe humanitarian emergency that has left millions of people in need of aid, and near-total international isolation over the Taliban’s human rights record, particularly its systematic erasure of women and girls from public life.

According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, Afghans from large business owners to daily wage laborers now complain about falling earnings and shrinking economic opportunities under the Taliban. A cab driver in Kabul, who has been driving for 20 years, expressed his financial hardship, stating that he has seen problems in the past five years that he had never experienced before. The Taliban inherited a structurally fragile economy heavily dependent on foreign aid, which has largely dried up due to their policies, especially the isolation of females from public life.

An April 2025 World Bank report highlighted that poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition remain pressing challenges in Afghanistan, with girls’ secondary-school enrollment at just 3 percent. The Taliban regime has restored relative calm after decades of conflict, but analysts say it has done little to address economic stability and governance improvements. Decision-making is centralized around the Taliban’s reclusive chief, Mullah Hebatullah, without a comprehensive plan for good governance and economic prosperity.

The Taliban’s rule is characterized by traditional governance incompatible with international norms, according to Washington-based Afghan analyst Mushtaq Rahim. The lack of governance, coupled with economic insecurity, raises concerns of Afghanistan becoming a cauldron of insecurity. London-based Afghan analyst Sami Yousafzai noted that the Taliban have alienated ordinary Afghans, who feel like strangers in their own land. Armed resistance is reportedly growing, with at least three groups announcing resistance in Badakhshan.

International outreach efforts by the Taliban include attempts to attract foreign aid and stabilize the economy. Afghanistan’s GDP dropped significantly after international forces withdrew but has slightly rebounded due to remittances. Russia is the only country formally recognizing the Taliban government, while the regime has developed contacts with China, India, the UAE, and some Central Asian nations. A Taliban delegation’s visit to Brussels for technical talks with the European Commission marked a controversial step toward international outreach, despite no EU country ready to officially recognize their authority.

The situation remains precarious, and analysts like Michael Semple at Queens University Belfast suggest that the Taliban emirates might eventually be overthrown, although the force to do so has yet to emerge.