[NOTE: This is the latest in a series of letters from a friend inside Afghanistan who shall remain anonymous. He describes conditions on the ground since the Taliban took power in late August.]
Here in Afghanistan, we’re undergoing a genocide, and the rest of the world has no idea. In recent weeks, more than 300 Shia Muslims were killed and injured in Kunduz and another 150 Shiites in Kandahar. Nobody cares that we’re being murdered, or that we’re starving and desperate.
The killings of non-Sunnis have been going on for years, but since the Taliban took over, murders of all Afghans have spiked. The Taliban killed 13 people in Daikondi a few weeks ago. In Panjshir, people found several mass grave sites. Many of these murders throughout the country are taking place covertly.
In a cruel twist, the Taliban today held an event to commemorate those who carried out suicide attacks against the U.S. forces and the Afghan governement over the past 20 years. They announced that the families of the suicide bombers will be given money and plots of land as rewards for their actions.
Meanwhile, people here are starving. More than 97 percent of Afghans don't know where their next meal will come from. Some families eat only once or twice a day. Basic commodities such as wheat, oil, and gasoline have become too expensive because the borders to Pakistan and Iran are closed.
There are no jobs. Government employees may be the worst off: The Taliban has not paid their salaries for 3 months. Everyone is trying to borrow money from each other just to survive. A photo was recently circulated on social media showing a man with his 10-year-old daughter sitting in front of him.
He was trying to sell her.
People are desperate. Some are being tortured by the Taliban. ISIS is gaining strength.People are starving or being killed every day and there is no place to flee to.
People in other countries have more sympathy for the killing of animals than they have for the Afghan people who are dying here every day.. Every possible catastrophe is happening here and no one overseas is doing anything about it. In fact, some analysts say that other countries are supporting the terrorist groups, including ISIS.
The Afghan people feel we have been abandoned.
THE HEADLINES:
* Afghanistan's economy is set to contract up to 30% this year and this is likely to further fuel a refugee crisis that will impact neighboring countries, Turkey and Europe, the International Monetary Fund said. (Reuters)
* F.D.A. to Allow ‘Mix and Match’ Approach for Covid Booster Shots --The agency may act this week, when it is expected to authorize booster shots for recipients of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. (NYT)
* Russia’s planet-warming methane leaks come at the planet’s peril--A new breed of satellites devoted to locating and measuring greenhouse gases, including methane, are orbiting Earth — meaning trouble for Russia, the world's second-biggest natural gas producer. (WP)
* Energy crunch hits global recovery as winter approaches (AP)
* A WHO-led program to ensure poorer countries get fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments aims to secure antiviral drugs for patients with mild symptoms for as little as $10 per course, a draft document seen by Reuters says. Merck's experimental pill molnupiravir is likely to be one of the drugs, and other drugs to treat mild patients are being developed. (Reuters)
* Is Brexit Hurting the U.K. Economy? Trade Data Flashes a Warning (WSJ)
* University of North Carolina can keep considering race in admissions, federal judge rules (WP)
* Trump Sues to Block Release of White House Papers to Jan. 6 Inquiry (NYT)
* Since October 1, Chinese military aircraft have flown 159 times through Taiwan’s air defense identification zone – a section of international airspace countries can arbitrarily define as theirs to monitor. Reuters analyzes what weeks of mass air force incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ say about China’s air power. (Reuters)
* As Bitcoin goes mainstream, Wall Street looks to cash in (AP)
* First Bitcoin Futures ETF Rises in Trading Debut (WSJ)
* Climate report: Africa’s rare glaciers soon to disappear (AP)
* Powell’s death a reminder that vaccination is about every person, not just one person (WP)
* North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea's military said, pulling Japan's new prime minister off the campaign trail and overshadowing the opening of a major arms fair in Seoul. (Reuters)
* Hearing aids without a prescription or an exam? The FDA takes big step toward making that happen. (WP)
* VIDEO: Diver Discovers 900-Year-Old Sword Off Israeli Coast (Reuters)
* Study Finds Big Bang Result Of Last Universe Blowing Itself Up With Fireworks (The Onion)
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