5 years after return, Taliban faces hard task of rebuilding

KABUL — White Taliban flags emblazoned with black script lined major streets across Kabul on Saturday as the Taliban celebrated the fifth anniversary of its return to power with a large-scale ceremony.

Five years on, war-torn Afghanistan has largely moved from conflict to reconstruction. Overall security has improved, but creating jobs, absorbing returning refugees and reviving the economy remain formidable challenges.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has repeatedly pledged that Afghan territory would not be used by terrorist groups to threaten other countries. It has launched sustained operations against extremist groups, contributing to a marked decline in both the frequency and scale of terrorist attacks.

Security risks, however, have not disappeared.

Several major attacks hit Kabul in recent years, including the assassination of acting minister for refugees Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani in a suicide bombing in December 2024, and an attack on a Chinese restaurant in January this year that killed seven people.

Meanwhile, military tensions with Pakistan have periodically flared over border disputes and cross-border militant activities. From late 2025 to the spring of 2026, the confrontation escalated beyond frontier areas, with Pakistani officials calling the situation an "open war".

The fighting gradually subsided after the two sides returned to dialogue through international mediation.

For many Afghans, daily life has become safer, but making a living remains difficult.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Afghan currency had stabilized at around 66 to 70 afghanis per dollar, compared with a low of around 130 after the Taliban returned to power, indicating that inflation had been brought under control.

Bread prices have also remained stable. A piece of naan, Afghanistan's staple food, has long cost around 10 afghanis, prompting some economists to describe the phenomenon as the country's unique "naan economy".

Yet, stable prices have not eased livelihood pressures.

Safra, a single mother living in Kabul, supports two sons, one of whom is bedridden. The family's only income comes from occasional labor by her younger son, allowing them to afford little more than naan and potatoes each day.

In eastern Khost Province, farmer Shafiq told Xinhua that his family of nine survives on 2,000 square meters of farmland and temporary jobs. "At least everyone can have naan every day," he said.

Higher unemployment

Abdul Rahman, spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Economy, said people of working age account for about 49 percent of the country's population, while roughly 26 percent are unemployed.

The end of many international aid programs and development projects has pushed unemployment even higher.

Rebuilding the economy remains one of Afghanistan's biggest challenges.

According to the National Procurement Commission, the government approved 562 development and infrastructure projects worth about $2 billion last year. Since August 2021, more than 1,200 major development projects have been launched nationwide.

Spokesman Mujahid acknowledged that outdated regulations have slowed reconstruction.

"In the past, obtaining a construction permit required approvals from dozens of departments. We are simplifying administrative procedures, although we have not yet reached our goal," he said.

Long-standing financial sanctions by the United States remain another major obstacle, discouraging international investment, particularly private capital.

Five years after the war largely came to an end, Afghanistan is discovering that the challenge today goes beyond ending the fighting; it also involves building a future.

XINHUA