Last week a massive earthquake struck Eastern Afghanistan, and at latest count left over 1,000 dead, thousands more injured, and even more homeless. The United States responded with a $55 million dollar aid package to help earthquake victims, that greatly dwarfs all other donations combined.
The Taliban-Haqqani terror regime of course reacted slowly to the natural disaster, and instead sped-up their attacks on various anti-Taliban groups around the country. As the world should have predicted, the illegal regime is still more focused on killing Afghans than helping them.
Attacks Continue Despite Earthquake
While the humanitarian groups and Afghan civic groups rushed Eastwards to help, the Taliban-Haqqani forces were continuing their attacks on Afghans in Panjshir province, the Balkhab district of Sar-e-Pol Province, and in Kapisa Province. The regime is conducting house to house searches for military-aged males and families that might be supporting anti-Terrorist forces. They are also still searching for former Islamic Republic servicemembers who they often arrest, torture, and murder.
In Balkhab district where the Taliban-Haqqani regime amassed their forces to encircle a renegade Hazara Taliban leader the results are just now trickling out. Many are calling the attack on the area another Hazara genocide. It is possible that hundreds of men, women and children were killed in this large operation to put down a splinter group who were not pleased with how the Regime in Kabul is operating.
Afghan People Fleeing
The fighting in the area has also caused an exodus of people trying to stay out of the war-zone. The internally displaced Hazara families may possibly number in the hundreds. They are showing up in Bamyan Province and are in very rough condition. The provincial aid groups are struggling to care for the IDPs and some are saying that aid marked for relief of the Hazara families has been stopped in Maidan Wardak and stolen by the Taliban fighters.
The media has not begun to shine a light on the atrocities committed by the illegitimate regime in Sar-e-Pol, as the earthquake on the other side of the country has all the focus right now. This is not the first time the Taliban-Haqqani terror network has target Hazaras for their most despicable cruelty. Regularly over the last few decades Hazaras have come under terrorist attack. From school children to anti-Taliban fighters, no Hazara is safe from the Taliban-Haqqani regime.
No end in sight for the Afghan Suffering
As the struggle to deal with the earthquake continues, the Taliban-Haqqani subgroups are locked in an armed-struggle over what they see as the spoils of victory after they toppled the elected government and set up a dictatorship. In the South the commanders are fighting over opium and smuggling profits, in Sar-e-Pol over coal, and up North over gold and other precious minerals.
Diplomats continue to struggle to convince the Taliban-Haqqani regime to build an inclusive government that is chosen by the citizens and accountable for the well-being of the people. The Taliban-Haqqani regime have little incentive to stop the looting of the resources and their rapid sale to Pakistan and China. The latest round of punishments for eradicating education and employment opportunities for most women and girls only resulted in travel sanctions against two terrorists. Afghan suffering increases daily and there is no end in sight.
