Talking to the other side: Humanitarian engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan

While a great deal of speculative or anecdotal work has
been published in recent years on the Taliban’s military
objectives and structure, there is little substantive research
on their views of humanitarian and development issues.
Understanding the history of humanitarian engagement
with the Taliban, many of whom are increasingly positioning
themselves as a ‘government in waiting’, as well as prospects
for future engagement, will be critical to those seeking to
understand the future of humanitarian and development
work in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of international
forces in 2014.

This research does not aim to provide a full account of
humanitarian access negotiations with the Taliban in
Afghanistan. Rather, through a series of structured interviews,
background discussions and desk research, it seeks to
provide greater insight into the opportunities and obstacles
aid agencies face in working in areas of Afghanistan where
the Taliban have gained significant control or influence.
The report begins with an overview of aid agency access
in Afghanistan since 2001, obstacles to engagement with
the Taliban and various access strategies. It then examines
the perspectives of the Taliban leadership and its policy on
aid agency engagement. Two case studies, in Kandahar and
Faryab provinces, seek to examine these issues at a local
level. The report concludes with recommendations aimed at
improving agency access through dialogue with the Taliban.