The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its recent report said that about 25 million Afghans currently live in poverty, and 900,000 jobs might be lost this year.
“Around 25 million people are now living in poverty, and as many as 900,000 jobs may be lost from the labour market this year as businesses struggle to stay afloat, and women and girls remain locked out of secondary school and the formal economy,” the report reads.
In a report, OCHA stated that despite continued humanitarian assistance of an unprecedented scale and range, the Afghan people continue to stand in urgent need of international assistance.
“Today, the tragic reality is that the scale of needs in Afghanistan far outstrips the response capacity of humanitarian actors to meet them, and it will simply not be possible to move the population from a mode of surviving to thriving unless a functioning economy and banking system is restored; longer-term, more sustainable interventions are resumed; line ministries are technically capacitated; girls are officially able to return to school; and women and girls can participate meaningfully and safely in all aspects of social, political and economic life, including humanitarian work,” the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov said.
But an official said that the reason for the worsening of the economic situation is the freezing of Afghan assets by the United States.
“Supporting domestic industries and launching economic initiatives is our way to better the economic situation,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Ministry of Economy.
Economists commented on the challenges of the current situation of Afghanistan.
“The major economic catastrophe started in 2019 and we are presently in an economic disaster, with unemployment and absolute poverty, no savings, a very low value of the currency, and high prices,” said Fahim Abasi, an economist.
“The government must act in this area and establish fundamental initiatives so that people may find jobs,” said Farhad Momandzai, an economist.
Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Takhar province, who fixes shoes on the streets of Kabul, said he is frequently unable to buy food for his family.
“All Muslims are unemployed, we have a lot of hardships, and we are in debt,” he said.
The Norwegian Refugee Council also stated in its report on the one-year anniversary of the Islamic Emirate that the level of hunger in Afghanistan is “shocking.”
“We have witnessed shocking levels of poverty and suffering in Afghanistan over the past year. The economic restrictions imposed on the country and the unwillingness of both the de facto authorities and the international community to effectively engage with one another have pushed millions of Afghans into despair,” NRC’s report reads.
