Uncertainty and Collective Caution: Humanitarian Security Strategies in Afghanistan Post-Taliban Takeover

Afghanistan has long been a challenging environment for humanitarian operations, with aid workers frequently targeted by violence. Following the Taliban's takeover in 2021, attacks on humanitarian personnel dropped significantly, reflecting the cessation of widespread armed insurgency. Despite this reduction, International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) experience a feeling of insecurity stemming from uncertainty about governance, restrictive decrees, limited reliable information, and the presence of other armed groups. This article examines how a feeling of uncertainty among INGOs shapes their security strategies in Afghanistan. Drawing on interviews with senior humanitarian staff and managers, this study examines the persistence of security measures despite changes in the threat landscape. It highlights how uncertainty replaced violence as the dominant form of insecurity, through interrelated processes that mirror and reinforce one another, perpetuating institutional practices and fostering standardization in security measures.