Taliban Rise will Lead to Economic Turmoil in South Asia

The Taliban gains in Afghanistan have further threatened economic stability in the region. Countries such as Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan are already reeling under the heavy influx of refugees from Afghanistan since the Taliban government was overthrown in 2000. If the current situation continues to persist in Afghanistan, millions would be displaced, either internally or externally. Imagine what it will cause to the region’s economic system.

I wouldn’t hinder to say that countries like India are on a war footing, given the challenges the Taliban rise brings to the country. From the possibility of Taliban terrorism on Indian soil to the refugee crisis, the country is all set to tackle this threat.

According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, at least 400,000 Afghans have fled the country in 2021. The UN agency estimates that there are 2.6 million Afghans who have fled the country so far. Out of these, 1.4 million reside in Pakistan and one million in Iran. The refugee burden these countries bear is unbelievable as their economic health continue to deteriorate.

These figures represent what occurred in Afghanistan in the last 20 years, as opposed to the current shocking scenario. According to the videos that have recently surfaced on social media, it turns out things have gone from bad to the worst. People are seen climbing a running aircraft in an attempt to flee the country. Such state-of-affairs signal that the country is in absolute chaos.

This is a no-brainer that when a country is order-less, people tend to flee to less volatile regions, at least. I wouldn’t say countries like Pakistan and Iran are stable, but they have governing bodies in place. Long story short, more and more Afghans will migrate to the neighboring countries, further burdening their feeble economic systems. 

“Another influx of refugees and the spillover of violent groups motivated to destabilize urban areas and infrastructure, particularly, on the western side of Pakistan...could set Pakistan's recovery and reform story back,” said Hasnain Malik, an analyst at research firm Tellimer. Mr. Malik was quoted as saying by Reuters.

In conclusion, if the Taliban brutality continues in the coming months and the people of Afghanistan continue to flee, the country’s, along with the region’s, economic system will rupture, which will lead to absolute turmoil. As the world leaders are closely monitoring the Afghanistan situation, I am sure there will be a solution to this crisis too.

The quote used in this piece was taken from Reuters.