Afghanistan Case Study-International Conflict

Afghanistan Case Study – Conflict

Background

-        Afghanistan is a landlocked country in central Asia covering 652,000km² making it the 41st largest country in the world. In 2014 the population of Afghanistan was estimated at 31.8 million.

-        Afghanistan, has international borders with: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, Pakistan and Iran.

-        It was a military invasion of Afghanistan that was launched by the U.S. and the U.K. in October of 2001, largely in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and with the intent of removing the Taliban regime from power.

-        Naturally it had a devastating effect on the country and when the soviets finally pulled out they left a power vacuum and the Taliban took over.

-        With no true leadership or central government Afghanistan moved into another turbulent period; a civil war lasting 12 years before the U.S unleashed airstrikes on Afghanistan for the terrorist attacks in New York on 9/11. By 2006, 40 countries had provided 46000 soldiers – the British supplied 3500 soldiers in the Helmand province.

Impacts on Afghanistan

Economic

-        Industry in Afghanistan employs 10% of the population whereas 80% are involved in agriculture which offers poor returns due to an unreliable climate, declining economy and corrupt government.

-        Poverty and unemployment are on the rise with one in three adults below the poverty line.

-        Equally trade has been hampered with key trade routes blocked by the Taliban and making the country unattractive to foreign investment.

-        Afghanistan received approximately $35 billion of international aid between 2002 and 2009. (however, it has not been spent wisely)

-        All other forms of farming fell by the way side (Opium farming took over) and meant the country needed to start importing crops such as wheat which Afghanistan traditionally grew in abundance.

-        Exports to the wider world are just about non-existent except for some agricultural products like pomegranates, nuts and their largest export opium. It is estimated that 12% of the Afghan economy is derived from the sale of opium.

-        Rebuilding the infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads and such is a very expensive process. The destruction of transport links has a knock on economic affect

Social

-        Communities have been destroyed, infrastructure ruined, social upheaval, 6 million people displaced and around 2 million deaths.

-        Drug addiction among the Afghan population rose drastically, with over 1 million Afghans addicted, as poppy cultivation became the dominant agricultural product.

-        In the first couple of years of the conflict it was estimated that 3500 civilians were killed.

-        The on-going conflict has led to severe malnutrition, limited health and educational services all of which were poor prior to the conflict.

-        These factors have contributed to an increasing population due to high fertility rates and a lack of family planning.

-        In two months of fighting the Taliban had lost up to…