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Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan remains locked in a humanitarian and security crisis, with the regime seeking diplomatic engagement in Europe while Western nations pursue limited deportation cooperation.
Editorially curated conflicts and rivalries Afghanistan is party to. Open a panel to see the specific friction points inside it.
The contested borders of South Asia, where two nuclear-armed states and their neighbours dispute territory, water and responsibility for cross-border violence. Five fault lines run through it: the air campaign and border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the Durand Line; the Kashmir territorial dispute between India and Pakistan; the separatist insurgency in Balochistan; the Indus Waters Treaty, suspended by India and contested by Pakistan; and the militant attacks that each state attributes to the other. Pakistan is a party to four of the five.
Afghanistan's economy remains fragile, with infrastructure projects like the TAPI gas pipeline struggling to advance and rail routes seen as a potential but underdeveloped opportunity.
The Taliban mark five years in power, using the anniversary to assert improved conditions while aid groups warn of crisis. The regime pursues diplomatic outreach, including a delegation to Germany for deportation talks, and claims Afghanistan is better off after the US withdrawal.
Security incidents persist, including a Kabul explosion injuring dozens of children and the detention of UN staff, while European countries move to deport Afghan nationals, some with criminal charges.
Women's rights remain the dominant societal tension, with Afghan women asserting their presence while facing severe restrictions; UNICEF reports one million children suffering acute malnutrition.