After the resurgence of the Taliban administration, a significant number of domestic and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provided essential social services in various sectors either ceased operations or suspended their activities in Afghanistan due to the ban on women working. This vacuum has created challenges in various sectors, and the exact number of active organizations in Afghanistan remains uncertain.

Officials from the Ministry of Economy of the de facto administration have also presented contradictory statistics over the course of several days: a spokesperson for the ministry says that 720 domestic and foreign organizations are active, while an official from the same ministry states that more than 6,500 domestic and foreign organizations are active in Afghanistan.

Non-governmental domestic and foreign institutions are referred to as groups formed by members of society, without any governmental or occupational titles, for social, civil, ethical, environmental, and similar purposes. The functioning and effectiveness of these institutions have been crucially highlighted by the United Nations for achieving sustainable development goals, and February 27 has also been designated as an annual global event to officially recognize the activities of these centers.

Afghanistan, as a country that has been embroiled in decades of bloody wars, has experienced a severe setback in the provision of social services, including education, health, mental health, and environmental services, due to the performance of these institutions. However, with nearly three years having passed since the return of Taliban in power, the exact number of institutions in Afghanistan is still unclear.

Abdul Latif Nazari, an official from the Ministry of Economy, stated in an interview with the national radio and television, last week that 6,522 domestic and foreign non-governmental organizations are active in Afghanistan, with 515 of them being foreign institutions, and all these institutions are engaged in four sectors (social services, health, education, and agriculture).

Abdul Rahman Habib, the spokesperson for the ministry, appeared a few days after Mr. Nazari’s interview on national radio and television and announced that there are 720 domestic and foreign non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan, of which 172 are foreign and the rest are domestic, all operating in seven different sectors.

Experts believe that the statistics provided by these two officials from the Ministry of Economy of the Taliban are not reliable, as there is a discrepancy of several thousand (5,802) among the figures, and inaccurate figures have also been presented repeatedly in the past.

Professor Sayed Masoud, expert on economic affairs, stated in an interview with Khaama Press: Effective management stems from precise handling of figures and reliable statistics. If the numbers provided by two officials from the same ministry differ by even a four-digit number, it indicates ineffective management and undermines confidence in the work process of that ministry.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Coordination of Non-Governmental Organizations of the Ministry of Economy of the Taliban administration has released different statistics, indicating that 5,999 domestic institutions and 520 foreign institutions have received permits from the Ministry of Economy to operate in Afghanistan.

According to experts, accurate statistics are a key component of policy-making and leadership in social activities. Without sufficient, accurate, and timely statistics, policymaking, planning, goal-setting, strategies, activities, and ultimately the evaluation of results will not be possible.

Pakistani media reports that between April 3rd and 13th, at least 8,581 Afghan refugees have been expelled from the country.

SAMAA TV reported on Sunday, April 14^th, that the trend of expelling “illegal” immigrants is rapidly continuing.

The report indicates that 3,127 men, 1,972 women, and 3,482 children, including newly expelled refugees, are among those deported from Pakistan.

According to reports, since the start of the expulsion process, 535,940 Afghan refugees have been returned to their country.

This comes as Pakistan has announced the start of the second phase of the expulsion process despite international reactions calling for a halt to the deportation of refugees.

The media also notes that 310 Afghan families have been returned to Afghanistan with 287 vehicles.

According to The Guardian, the second phase of expelling Afghan refugees from Pakistan began on Monday, April 15^th, with at least 400,000 refugees set to be expelled.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has declared the installation of eighty thousand security cameras in Kabul city to prevent criminal incidents.

Abdul Matin Qaneh, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban, stated on Sunday, April 14^th, that these cameras have been installed at intersections, crowded areas, and key points.

According to Qaneh, efforts are underway to increase the installation of these cameras in the capital and other provinces of the country.

He emphasized that through the installation of these cameras, they have been able to prevent many criminal incidents.

Previously, the Ministry of Interior had announced the installation of over 62,000 security cameras in Kabul city.

The Ministry of Interior spokesperson further added that the Taliban Ministry of Interior intends to implement this program in other important and large cities of Afghanistan as part of its four-year policy to reduce crimes.

Since the Taliban takeover, there has been a surge in ISIS-K attacks across Afghanistan, particularly in Kabul and other major cities.

A recent attack in Kandahar resulted in the deaths of over 45 people and left dozens more injured.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Transport and Aviation states that Turkish Airlines intends to resume its flights to Afghanistan soon.

The spokesperson for this ministry wrote on its social media platform X, that there are no technical or airport-related issues for the company to begin its flights.

Imamuddin Ahmadi stated that all facilities for foreign airlines are available at all Afghanistan airports.

Following the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, many foreign airlines, including Turkish Airlines, suspended their flights to the country.

However, in January last year, Emirates Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan. Still, due to passenger shortages and existing issues in Afghanistan, the flights of these companies show a considerable reduction.

It is said that difficulties in obtaining visas for Afghans, especially traders, are one of the reasons for the decrease in air travel.

During the early days of the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that 60 to 70 aircraft were passing through Afghanistan airspace every 24 hours.

This is while before the collapse of the previous government, according to official statistics, over 250 flights were operated daily from Afghanistan airspace.

Former commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has said that with the Taliban gaining power, ISIS Khorasan has found conducive conditions for advancement.

According to Business Insider, prior to the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, ISIS Khorasan’s activities were limited to Afghanistan with minimal penetration beyond its borders.

However, afterward, it found more expansion opportunities and took responsibility for attacks beyond Afghanistan’s borders, including a suicide attack on the anniversary ceremony of Qasem Soleimani in Iran and an attack on a concert hall in Moscow.

Joseph Votel, who oversaw military operations in the Middle East in 2010, told Business Insider, “It won’t take long for these organizations to increase their activities and become more capable.”

Business Insider wrote in its report that without the US military presence in Afghanistan, options to combat ISIS are relatively limited. The report added that while the White House has previously emphasized a strategy beyond targeting terrorists with drones, there seems to be little evidence of the effectiveness of such a strategy.

Business Insider noted that before the collapse of Afghanistan’s previous government, the US had significant intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan, allowing it to conduct military attacks against terrorist groups and provide advice and assistance to Afghan forces in key operations.

According to this American publication, retired General Joseph Votel has said that this “whack-a-mole” approach to counterterrorism has ultimately strengthened and made ISIS Khorasan more flexible, with the group now focusing on expanding its influence in other regions.