“It seemed obvious that the Taliban would struggle to switch from running a violent insurgency to administering a country of 40m. Yet the new government’s finances appear to be in much better shape than anybody expected,” the article said. “Last month the group announced its first full-year budget, forecasting revenues of $2.1bn. The World Bank’s estimate is a more modest but still impressive $1.7bn.⁠”

⁠” But the Taliban have yet to show that they can spend revenues wisely. Defense and security are expected to make up 50% of their total spending this financial year, a staggering sum given that at least half the country’s population is living on less than $1.90 a day,” it added.

Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an offensive against the Afghan government on May 1, 2021, quickly advancing in front of collapsing US-supported Afghan government forces.

On 15 August 2021, as the Taliban once again controlled a vast majority of Afghan territory, they re-captured the capital city of Kabul, and many civilians, government officials and foreign diplomats were evacuated. Ex-President Ghani fled Afghanistan that day with $169 million in cash

Western nations have suspended most humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of the country in August 2021 and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund also halted payments.

In October 2021, more than half of Afghanistan's 39 million people faced an acute food shortage.

On 11 November 2021, the Human Rights Watch reported that Afghanistan was facing widespread famine due to an economic and banking crisis. (ILKHA)