A devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which killed at least 1,000 people and flattened homes in remote villages close to the Pakistani border, poses the biggest challenge yet for the Taliban since they seized power nearly a year ago.
Now the earthquake risks exposing the limitations of an administration largely isolated from the outside world and desperately short of cash and resources.
While humanitarian assistance continues to flow, aid needed for longer-term development in Afghanistan was halted when the Taliban stormed Kabul last August.
Further angering the Taliban, billions of dollars in Afghan reserves also remain frozen overseas as the West pushes for concessions on human rights, particularly for girls and women.
Co-director of the Centre on Armed Groups Ashley Jackson claimed: "The sanctions imposed after the Taliban takeover ... and the economic collapse will make it incredibly difficult to respond with necessary medical and food aid, and to support reconstruction”.
So far, a handful of ageing helicopters have been flying to and from some of the worst-affected areas, carrying the injured out and ferrying in supplies of food and medicine.
The Taliban have appealed to the international community and several countries have promised humanitarian aid, some of which is already arriving. International aid agencies are also providing support on the ground.
According to two UN officials and a Pakistani source speaking on Wednesday, teams from Turkey and Pakistan were on standby.
"The United Nations does not have search and rescue capabilities (themselves) in Afghanistan and Turkey is 'best positioned' to provide it," said deputy UN envoy in Afghanistan Ramiz Alakbarov, who coordinates humanitarian operations.
"We spoke about it with the embassy of Turkey here on the ground and they're waiting for the formal request."
Aid groups said hospitals already stretched by malnutrition were now facing a huge influx of people injured in the earthquake.
In the wake of the disaster, some aid groups called for the international community to end Taliban isolation, arguing that humanitarian help was not enough to drag the country from crisis.
Some senior Taliban leaders are subject to sanctions on terrorism charges, complicating rehabilitation.
"The question is, will this disaster make the international community question the harmful costs that its policies are having on ordinary Afghans?" said Jackson.
International Rescue Committee Vice President for Asia Adnan Junaid added, "The international community must establish a roadmap that sets out strategies to resume development assistance, provide technical support to the central bank, and ultimately release Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves."