From Conflict to Control: The Collapse of Afghanistan
Introduction
In 2021, global audiences witnessed the unfolding of the events in Afghanistan through their television screens in the comfort of their homes. Images of men with dark beards and violent weapons dominated every phone, computer and television screen capturing the attention and concern of the international community. Headlines broadcasted words of despair such as, “Takeover” “Collapse” and “War” reflecting the rapid and dramatic changes occurring within the central Asia nation. The world watched silently as 14.2 million Afghan women faced the rapid erosion of their rights, losing access to employment, education, and medical care amongst other basic privileges. The shift in power left an already fragile nation in shambles.The once United States backed country was now completely under Taliban control causing society and the economy to collapse; creating conditions for a widespread mental health crisis for the Afghans both within the country and abroad.
This essay analyzes publicly available data supplemented by a private interview of an anonymous Afghan refugee to create an informative notion on the Taliban crisis of 2021 and its implications. This analysis will explore the layered impact of the current domestic and economic conditions in Afghanistan that have created the ultimate conditions for a mental health catastrophe. The article will consider and analyze factors that have continued to build upon each other such as: the political timeline, the economic collapse, the impact on women and mental health. The refugee being interviewed will remain anonymous and simply be described from here on out as Amal. Her personal experiences offer a valuable perspective on the experiences women are currently enduring in Afghanistan.
Global Intervention Post 9/11
The United States involvement in Afghanistan has a complex and intricate timeline that is vital to generally understand for this topic. Most individuals believe it began after the events of 9/11 but the relationship between the two nations was established long before the attacks on the twin towers. For the purpose of this article however, the focus will remain on the relationship between the two countries post 9/11. On September 18th, just 7 days after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush authorized the joint resolution. The aim of this was to approve use of military retaliation against those responsible for the terrorist attack in New York. The United States initiated attacks in Afghanistan causing the Taliban to retreat into hiding, however the alleged mastermind behind the crimes, Osama Bin-Laden, evaded capture and fled into Pakistan. Soon after President Bush commenced the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Over the next few years conflict persisted between the Taliban and the United States forces. By 2009 President Obama sought to increase the number of American troops into Afghanistan. In 2011 under Barack Obama’s presidency Bin Laden was located and killed in Pakistan. By the end of 2016 Obama planned to withdraw a majority of American troops from Afghanistan. However in 2017 under President Trump the United States increased troop deployment due to the escalating retaliation from the Taliban. The next few years were filled with peace talk and negotiations for a better Afghanistan. By this time President Biden assumed office, he pursued a goal the previous three presidents aimed to complete: removing American soldiers from Afghanistan. This ultimately led to the total Taliban takeover in Afghanistan which came with a plethora of issues contributing to the state of the nation as the world knows it.
Afghan Economic Analysis
The economic situation in Afghanistan has severely deteriorated over the past few years. Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan more and more restrictions have been imposed in accordance to “sharia law” limiting the job market even further for those who can work. Aside from Taliban imposed restrictions the global community has also chosen to turn a blind eye and restrict any previous funding all over night. A strong reason causing the economic collapse in Afghanistan does have to do with the international community as they have exacerbated the economic crisis so rapidly. The freezing of Afghan assets has led to a sharp decline in the GDP and a surge in inflation having detrimental impacts on the residents. According to the crisis group over 2.8 million dollars worth of programs have been cut. These programs included things such as, “energy, transport and irrigation”. The Taliban’s return plummeted over half the population to acute hunger due to the lack of resources, funds and allocation. As mentioned earlier the job market is severely limited, there is only so much to go around and women face even greater restrictions and consequences. Most professions are highly off limits to women with the exception of a handful which are highly restricted. This cuts the workforce in half hindering economic production.
Women’s Rights
The Taliban is actively working to marginalize women in Afghan society. By limiting their communication with the outside world the Taliban have effectively removed women from all places of power. Women are currently prohibited from pursuing any secondary education (beyond the 6th grade), they are not allowed to hold jobs, to go outside unaccompanied, dressing as they choose or to make any decisions for themselves without a man’s interjection. While these restrictions may seem limited, only the Afghan women know the trust cost of the penalty they’re being forced to pay. The average Afghan woman is denied even the simplest pleasures in life such as feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, traveling to see an old friend, or to enjoy a simple walk after dinner. They are confined to their homes and expected to manage the household with no real external interactions. Young girls are missing out on crucial aspects of development due to the isolation.
In order to better grasp the lifestyle women are expected to conform to, an interview was conducted with an afghan girl. In an effort to protect her privacy she will be referred to as Amal. Amal was able to provide key insights as she recently left Afghanistan as well as supplying current facts from her family overseas. Amal’s female family members in Afghanistan report that they are no longer allowed to go outside without a full chador and a male relative. Despite adhering to all these requirements the Taliban will still stop them to further question them about their whereabouts. Amal states that the part of Afghanistan that she was from is fully under Taliban rule and that they are present everywhere, Stopped at every corner and around every street waiting to question innocent residents. She recalls feeling like an outsider within the walls of her own home due to their dictatorship.
Amal also lightly briefly discussed the difficulties women face with not just their mental but also their physical health. Women are not permitted to consult any male medical providers and as women are not allowed to be doctors, nurses or any other medical professionals it is exceedingly difficult for women to maintain their health. There is quite literally no one to see them. Women are no longer treated like human beings, they have no access to basic privileges and they’re stuck in an absurd cycle of abuse.
Mental Health Crisis
Amal also elaborated on her personal mental health crisis induced by the Taliban as well as the crisis millions of Afghan women are faced with. She expressed feelings of homesickness, distress, fear and helplessness. She shares that while in Afghanistan she developed a serious anxiety and depression disorder. Amal constantly felt paranoid and afraid that regardless of what she did the Taliban would find some flaw in her behavior and she would then have to face their violent repercussions. She was pulled out of school and expected to remain at home without any form of communication with the rest of the world. Even after arriving in America she yearns for her home, the place she was raised in without all the brutality that persists in every corner now.
While fortunate as Amal is to have left there’s still millions of women who are still in Afghanistan, including some of her own family. Amal’s aunt is able to shed some light on her own personal experiences, sharing that many of the women in Afghanistan have fallen into a deep depression due to the lack of structure and purpose they have to deal with in their lives. Without being able to be a contributing member of society their lives have dwindled down to quite literally simply sitting at home. They all share strong feelings of angst and uneasiness and UN women claims that, “Sixty-eight per cent of women describe their mental health as “bad” or “very bad”, and eight per cent say they personally know someone who has attempted suicide” .
Through the education ban, employment restrictions, lack of medical care, and existential constraints, women in Afghanistan are facing a serious gender based systemic erosion from their nation. The violence against women has escalated to new heights. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has had a cascading effect of one thing leading to the next causing the ultimate demise of the nation. The international community has contributed to a serious economic crisis that goes hand in hand with women’s rights which then, mixed with the other restrictions, has led to a serious mental health crisis in Afghanistan.
References
Asia Pacific . “Afghanistan Three Years after the Taliban Takeover | International Crisis Group.” International Crisis Group, 2025 International Crisis Group, 14 Aug. 2024, www.crisisgroup.org/asia-pacific/afghanistan/afghanistan-three-years-after-taliban-takeover.
“Timeline: U.S. War in Afghanistan.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
UN Women. “Inside the Crisis You Don’t See: How War Impacts Women’s Mental Health – UN Women Australia.” Unwomen, 7 Apr. 2025, unwomen.org.au/inside-the-crisis-you-dont-see-how-war-impacts-womens-mental-health/.