In this week's ‘Deep Dive’ episode, Chris is joined by Chris Kinder, chairman of Afghanaid, and Kitty Chevallier, programme development officer of Afghanaid.

The conversation begins with guests discussing what has changed in Afghanistan since the 2021 Taliban offensive- some of the positive changes include an increase in security and a decrease in corruption. They chew over how the sanctions put in place by the Western world have caused the economy to shrink and show no sign of abating. Kitty shares her experience as a Western woman in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and expresses that she feels safer in the capital than she did before the Taliban takeover due to the increase in security.

Guests debate if the Western world should start to recognise the Taliban as a government and stop their sanctions. They argue that there should be a level of engagement between the Taliban and the West to resume development aid but there are still changes to be made before the Taliban can have full recognition.

Finally, they discuss what the West can do to help support people in Afghanistan over the long term.

If you would like to get involved in Afghanaid's upcoming campaign, you can find out more on their website: www.afghanaid.org.uk/Event/by-her-side-exhibition. The launch event is free to attend and will be a celebration of the stories and strengths of the Afghan women they work with, including a series of portraits, taken by photographers Lynzy Billing and Kobra Akbari.

Created & produced by Podcast Partners: www.podcastpartners.com

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This podcast is published by New Thinking: www.newthinking.com