Analyzing the Post-August 2021 Afghan Humanitarian Crisis: A Case Study of Evaluating International Responses to the Crisis

Abstract

The consequent turn of events in post-August 2021’ Afghanistan, surged an economic crisis in the country, pushing forth the health, education, food, refugee, and security crisis, which has concerned not only the Afghani people but has extreme security and social impacts globally. In this regard, this study investigates the responses of the international community vis-à-vis post-August 2021 Afghanistan by evaluating the reasoning and possibilities of evolution in responses by examining the situation through the constructivist (Onuf, 1989) approach. Regarding that, this research employs a thorough insight into understanding the ‘construct of international relations’ concerning the Taliban government in Afghanistan through an in-depth consideration of constructivism. Concerning the focused study, a qualitative approach has been followed to undertake the research while using the purposive sampling technique to gather data by carrying out well-designed yet semi-structured interviews with 11 participants. Analyzing the collected data, this study demonstrates that the Taliban re-takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, has appealed to an inimical response from the international community which is continually being evolved with the transformation of dynamics. Employing a constructivist approach eventually assisted in explaining the inimical and diverse set of attitudes from the international community towards the Afghanistan situation, embodying the respective state’s perceived reality, and suggesting their shared norms, goals, interests, fears, threats, and identities. Furthermore, this study unveiled the eventual evolution of international responses, from skepticism and condemnations to the expanding of diplomatic relations towards Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, amid the circumstances, subsequent to the post-August 2021’ Afghanistan.