Approximately 550,000 Afghans have been displaced as a result of the Taliban takeover so far this year. Of these, an estimated 80% are women and children. This figure is expected to grow significantly, adding to the 3.5 million Afghans already displaced within the country. The magnitude of this crisis is complicated by the lack of avenues for refugees to flee the country and for external journalists to monitor and record unfolding changes.

SOURCE: "Charting Mass Internal Displacement in Afghanistan" by CSIS's Matthew P. Funaiole and Erol Yayboke

China will play a definitive role in the energy transition, but its national oil companies (NOCs) face an uncertain future. The NOCs are among the largest investors in China, with a combined capital expenditure of $66 billion in 2020. They are also some of the world’s largest employers. Yet they will face growing challenges in fulfilling their core mandate as domestic resources gradually decline, and the energy transition poses new threats. The companies will have to meet new demands and accelerate their moves into lower-carbon energy.

SOURCE: "Chinese National Oil Companies Face the Energy Transition" by CSIS's Ben Cahill and Ryan McNamara
 

Satellite imagery analysis of Termez International Airport from August 16 demonstrates that at least 45 Afghan Air Force aircraft landed in Uzbekistan after the Taliban captured Kabul. However, by August 21, the aircraft had left the tarmac for an unknown location. It is highly likely that the aircraft were used either to transport Afghan soldiers seeking asylum and/or landed forcibly because Uzbek authorities were concerned about the security of their airspace as the clarity over which regime was in control of neighboring Afghanistan dissipated.

SOURCE: "Afghan Military Aircraft Land in Uzbekistan" by CSIS's Matthew P. Funaiole and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.

Gender barriers have been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been widespread bankruptcies of women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) due to lockdowns, and there has been an overrepresentation of women in sectors negatively affected by the pandemic. In Sub-Saharan Africa, an IFC report demonstrates that 90 percent of women-led MSMEs suffered high economic impact and over 90 percent of those surveyed had not received assistance from financial institutions.

SOURCE: "United States Can Help Advance Financial Inclusion for Women" by CSIS's Romina Bandura and Hiromitsu Higashi