Taliban government faces challenges
----------------------------------------
The Taliban’s immediate goal is to secure essential services such as food and medicine for the Afghan population, otherwise discontent could increase resistance to their control
-------------------------------------------  
1 2 3 4 5
-------------------------------------------  
Power players – Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada: Leader of Taliban 
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar: Negotiated 2020 U.S. withdrawal deal 
Hamid Karzai: Qatar and Pakistan want former president in government 
Abdullah Abdullah: Jamiat-e-Islami party – Qatar peace negotiator 
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: Hezb-e-Islami party – jihadist warlord
-------------------------------------------  
“New” Taliban: Claims it will be more inclusive to women and offer amnesty to those who
fought against them are likely to drive splits within ranks and create internal challenges

Food prices: Up by 35% since Taliban takeover. Cooking oil and gas have risen as much as 50%

Central bank reserves: $9.5 billion frozen – held almost entirely in U.S.

Economic aid: Aid flows represented 42.9% of Afghanistan’s $19.8 billion GDP in 2020, according to World Bank data
      
International aid: Taliban is reliant on foreign governments and NGOs for aid
                                                       
Agriculture: 7 million
Afghan farmers and herders face drought – harvest expected to be 20% lower than in 2020

Food insecurity: One in three Afghans face crisis levels of food insecurity
   
International Monetary Fund: Has blocked Kabul from accessing $440 million of IMF emergency Special Drawing Rights

Trade: IMF projects
exports at less than $1.6 billion while country needs imports of $7.4 billion in 2021

-------------------------------------------   
Sources: Stratfor, Reuters, World Bank Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS