Afghans face hunger crisis, adding to Taliban’s challenges
Associated PressKABUL, Afghanistan — The United Nations’ stockpiles of food in Afghanistan could run out this month, a senior official warned Wednesday, threatening to add a hunger crisis to the challenges facing the country’s new Taliban rulers as they try to restore stability after decades of war. The president of the United Nations Security Council said Wednesday that “the real litmus test” for the new Taliban government will be how it treats women and girls. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason of Ireland, which holds the council’s rotating presidency, said the protection and promotion of human rights for women “must be at the very heart of our collective response to the crisis.” The challenges the Taliban face in reviving the economy could give Western nations leverage as they push the group to fulfill a pledge to form an inclusive government and guarantee women’s rights. In the wake of last week’s bombing, American officials said drone strikes targeted the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan, and Biden vowed to keep up airstrikes.