Malala Yousafzai Voices Concern About Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan

Malala Yousafzai took to Twitter Sunday to express her apprehension about the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.

“We watch in complete shock as Taliban takes control of Afghanistan,” Yousafzai wrote. “I am deeply worried about women, minorities, and human rights advocates. Global, regional and local powers must call for an immediate ceasefire, provide urgent humanitarian aid and protect refugees and civilians.”

 

Yousafzai was only 15 when she was shot in the face by a Taliban gunman on a bus ride to school. Since her attack, she has consistently spearheaded the fight for women’s rights to education and safety.

The Taliban is currently in control of most of the country with multiple news outlets reporting in the past week that the group has seized more than a dozen provincial Afghan capitals.

As of Sunday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed the impending removal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. According to an issued statement from the White House, “This morning, the President and Vice President met by secure videoconference with their national security team to hear updates on the drawdown of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, evacuations of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul.”

The removal of United States troops has been Biden’s long-term plan. “It is time for American troops to come home,” Biden had stated in a White House speech in April. “We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result.”