Research & Analysis

On October 7, 2023, following Hamas’s attack on Israel, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, representing the Islamic Emirate, issued a statement in Dari, Pashto, and Arabic on X, saying: “These incidents are the outcome of the violation of the rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation and the continued defilement and desecration of Muslim holy sites by the Israeli Zionists.” While the Taliban’s reaction to the event is not unexpected, it raises concerns about Afghanistan’s ongoing transformation into a hub for global jihadi organizations and its
implication for regional and global security.​​​

On the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s water crisis has intensified, becoming increasingly severe and complex. The country’s major river systems, including the Helmand, Kabul, and Amu Darya, depend heavily on seasonal rainfall and snowmelt from mountainous regions, making them crucial for agriculture, energy production, and drinking water supply. Agriculture, a backbone of the Afghan economy, supports nearly 60% of the population and relies primarily on these water resources.​​

This paper examines the prospects for international cooperation for

mitigating or resolving the political, security and economic crises in Afghanistan. It asks whether such cooperation is likely to materialize at the regional or international levels. The paper seeks to identify key actors, their interests, their interactions and the consequences of these for effective common action aimed at resolving the crisis in Afghanistan.​​​ ​

Madrasa education has been an important source of knowledge for thousands of students in many Islamic countries, including Afghanistan. However, Madrasas are being discussed internationally in terms of their role in sectarian violence and militancy and the worsened security landscape of the South Asian region.​

Shortly after returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan initiated work on the Qosh Tepa Canal (QTC) project on the Amu Darya River, often referred to as the “Nile of Central Asia”. This project will have a dramatic impact on the availability of drinking water, agriculture support, and power generation throughout Central Asia, a region already experiencing water shortages and political and social instability and transboundary conflict therefrom.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, the country has plunged into a severe economic crisis. The economy has shrunk by nearly one-third (World Bank, 2023), leaving approximately 34 million people— around 90% of the population—below the poverty line (UNDP, 2023, p. 10). This crisis has positioned Afghanistan among the poorest countries globally, ranking it at the bottom of the World Happiness Index (Helliwell et al., 2024, p. 18).

This research paper examines regional integration in Asia, focusing specifically on the integration efforts concerning Afghanistan before and after the regime changes in 2021. It begins by defining regional integration as a multifaceted socio-economic and political process. 

This paper examines Afghanistan’s opium production and drug trade
from historical, regional, and global perspectives, analyzing the impact of
past and current policies, particularly the Taliban’s recent ban on opium
cultivation. Key findings highlight the economic, social, and political
ramifications of the ban, as well as its effects on regional and global drug
markets.