Straightforward Sam @forwardwithsam - Twitter Profile

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15 days ago

The last American forces left Kabul on August 14th, 2021, and it has now been 5 years since the chaotic and disastrous American withdrawal from Afghanistan under Biden. In light of this 5-year anniversary, it's only fair we take stock of what has happened to Afghanistan since that fateful summer of 2021. The state of affairs in Afghanistan now is certainly complicated. Here're 5 facts and figures of the current state of affairs in Afghanistan 5 years since American withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of the country. (And who remembers this harrowing picture of an Afghan man handing over his baby to a US Marine through a barricade because he believed his baby would have no future under the Taliban rule?) Number 1: 2.4 million girls are now shut out of secondary school and higher education altogether. Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls and women are banned from secondary and higher education. UNESCO estimates that about 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary school alone. Since the Taliban takeover of the country, an entire generation of Afghan girls has now spent years growing up knowing that, after sixth grade, there is no school and no education for them. Number 2: Security overall has gotten much better. Across surveys Afghans generally believe that everyday security has gotten substantially better since American withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of the country five years ago. Large-scale fighting has fallen dramatically, and streets are much safer. That doesn’t mean all of Afghanistan is all safe. ISIS-K and other terrorist groups still remain a serious terrorist threat in certain pockets of Afghanistan. Number 3: More than half the Afghan women are prisoners in their own homes. The Taliban have imposed more than 100 decrees that restrict women’s movement, work, speech, and public presence since coming to power. New UN Women surveys show that about 52% of women leave their homes only once or twice a month (or less). Most feel unsafe going out without a male guardian, and more than half avoid public spaces like markets or health facilities altogether. Number 4: More than 3 million Afghans who fled the country during the war have returned to the country, after being forced from Pakistan and Iran to return. Some estimates suggest that roughly 5 million Afghans have returned to the country between August of 2021 and 2026. The World Bank estimates roughly 3.7 million Afghans returned in 2025 alone, which is putting enormous additional pressure on Afghanistan's already fragile economy and public services. Number 5: Most Afghans require humanitarian assistance to meet basic, fundamental needs like food, shelter, and clothing. UNICEF has estimated that nearly 22.9 million people, which is nearly 50% of the population, require humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs of life. However, donor fatigue and restrictions on female aid workers have caused international funding to collapse, leaving approximately 14 million Afghans facing acute hunger.

forwardwithsam's tweet photo. The last American forces left Kabul on August 14th, 2021, and it has now been 5 years since the chaotic and disastrous American withdrawal from Afghanistan under Biden.

In light of this 5-year anniversary, it's only fair we take stock of what has happened to Afghanistan since that fateful summer of 2021. The state of affairs in Afghanistan now is certainly complicated.

Here're 5 facts and figures of the current state of affairs in Afghanistan 5 years since American withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of the country.

(And who remembers this harrowing picture of an Afghan man handing over his baby to a US Marine through a barricade because he believed his baby would have no future under the Taliban rule?)

Number 1: 2.4 million girls are now shut out of secondary school and higher education altogether. Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls and women are banned from secondary and higher education. UNESCO estimates that about 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary school alone. Since the Taliban takeover of the country, an entire generation of Afghan girls has now spent years growing up knowing that, after sixth grade, there is no school and no education for them.

Number 2: Security overall has gotten much better. Across surveys Afghans generally believe that everyday security has gotten substantially better since American withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of the country five years ago. Large-scale fighting has fallen dramatically, and streets are much safer. That doesn’t mean all of Afghanistan is all safe. ISIS-K and other terrorist groups still remain a serious terrorist threat in certain pockets of Afghanistan.

Number 3: More than half the Afghan women are prisoners in their own homes. The Taliban have imposed more than 100 decrees that restrict women’s movement, work, speech, and public presence since coming to power. New UN Women surveys show that about 52% of women leave their homes only once or twice a month (or less). Most feel unsafe going out without a male guardian, and more than half avoid public spaces like markets or health facilities altogether.

Number 4: More than 3 million Afghans who fled the country during the war have returned to the country, after being forced from Pakistan and Iran to return. Some estimates suggest that roughly 5 million Afghans have returned to the country between August of 2021 and 2026. The World Bank estimates roughly 3.7 million Afghans returned in 2025 alone, which is putting enormous additional pressure on Afghanistan's already fragile economy and public services.

Number 5: Most Afghans require humanitarian assistance to meet basic, fundamental needs like food, shelter, and clothing. UNICEF has estimated that nearly 22.9 million people, which is nearly 50% of the population, require humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs of life. However, donor fatigue and restrictions on female aid workers have caused international funding to collapse, leaving approximately 14 million Afghans facing acute hunger.

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Straightforward Sam

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