The relationship between Taliban and the humanitarian actors is strained. The lack of access to education and employment for women is in itself a humanitarian problem, and represents a core conflict issue. At the same time, Western organisations often are without the knowledge and flexibility needed to develop the Cupertino with the Taliban administration. The UN report expresses concern about the signal effect of the sanctions. The average Afghan has the perception that he himself is a target for the sanctions.
People feel isolated and forgotten.
Most people do not understand that the existing sanctions are targeted, but to a large extent blame the UN for the depressed economic situation of today. The overriding conclusion of the report is that the sanctions have had a negative effect on the civilian population, but no positive changing effect in relation to Taliban. What the report does not discuss is whether the sanctions policy also can have negative impact on a purely political level. The Taliban regime is associated with international terrorism, narcotics, and human rights violations. The problem is that the alternatives to the Taliban have an equally poor track record.