Afghanistan’s economic recovery is collapsing under compounding crises, with nine in ten households resorting to desperate survival measures skipping meals, selling possessions, or taking on debt according to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released Wednesday.
Since 2023, more than 4.5 million Afghans have been forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan, swelling the population by 10%. This surge, combined with earthquakes, floods, and drought, has devastated already fragile public services. The UNDP describes this as Afghanistan’s worst crisis since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Why It Matters
The report paints a stark picture of humanitarian collapse and economic paralysis in a country cut off from much of the international aid that once sustained it. With donor funding covering only a fraction of the UN’s $3.1 billion appeal, millions face worsening poverty and displacement.
Mass deportations from neighboring countries have strained infrastructure, housing, and jobs, while gender restrictions imposed by the Taliban have eroded the role of women in the workforce, undermining household resilience and recovery.
UNDP and UN Agencies: Urging immediate support for livelihoods and local services, particularly in high-return provinces, and calling for donors to restore aid commitments and lift restrictions on female aid workers.
Taliban Authorities: Appealed for international humanitarian assistance after recent disasters and condemned Pakistan’s mass deportations, though key ministries have not yet commented on the UNDP findings.
Donor Community: Funding pledges have drastically declined since 2021, reflecting political fatigue and distrust of the Taliban’s governance.
Key Issues
Debt and Hunger: Nearly 90% of returnee families are in debt, owing up to five times the average monthly income of $100.
Education and Jobs: In high-return areas, one teacher serves up to 100 students, and joblessness among returnees reaches 95%.
Health and Water Access: Over half of returnees skip medical care to buy food; 45% rely on unsafe water sources.
Gender Inequality: Female labour participation has plummeted to 6%, among the lowest globally.
Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP regional director for Asia and the Pacific, warned that cutting women out of aid delivery means “cutting off vital services for those who need them most.”
What’s Next
The UNDP warns that without urgent intervention, Afghanistan faces a deepening cycle of hunger, displacement, and social collapse. Restoring humanitarian access and reintegrating women into aid and economic activities are seen as essential for stabilising the country.
As donor attention shifts elsewhere, millions of Afghans risk being forgotten, trapped in debt, deprivation, and dependence.
With information from Reuters.
