Politics
Afghanistan economic recovery buckles as nine in 10 families go hungry or into debt: UNDP
- Nine in 10 Afghan families skip meals, take on debt: UNDP.
- 4.5 million returnees since 2023 strain collapsing economy.
- Women’s workforce share falls to 6%.
Afghanistan’s economic recovery is buckling as nine in 10 households are forced to skip meals, sell belongings or take on debt to survive, the United Nations said on Wednesday, warning that mass returns are exacerbating the country’s worst crisis since the Taliban returned to power.
A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report said nearly one in 10 overseas Afghans has been forced back home, with more than 4.5 million returnees since 2023, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, swelling the population by 10%.
On top of that, earthquakes, floods and drought have destroyed 8,000 homes and strained public services “beyond their limits.”
Quakes, floods, and hunger
A survey of more than 48,000 households found that more than half of Afghanistan’s returnees have skipped medical care to buy food, and 45% rely on open springs or unprotected wells for water.
Nearly 90% of returning Afghan families are in debt, owing $373 to $900, up to five times the average monthly income of $100 and nearly half of the annual per-capita gross domestic product, the UNDP said.
In areas with high numbers of returnees, one teacher serves 70 to 100 students, 30% of children work, and joblessness among returnees reaches 95%. The average monthly income is 6,623 Afghanis ($99.76), while rents have tripled.
The UNDP warned that without urgent support to strengthen livelihoods and services in high-return areas, overlapping crises of poverty, exclusion, and migration will deepen.
It said sustaining aid is critical as donor pledges have plunged since 2021, covering only a fraction of the $3.1 billion that the UN sought for Afghanistan this year.
The Taliban government appealed for international humanitarian assistance after a deadly quake struck eastern Afghanistan in September, and it has formally protested mass expulsion of Afghan nationals from a neighbouring nation, saying it is “deeply concerned” about their treatment.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Women bear the brunt
Participation by women in Afghanistan’s labour force has fallen to 6%, one of the lowest globally, and restrictions on movement have made it nearly impossible for women who head households to access jobs, education or healthcare.
Kanni Wignaraja, UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Asia and the Pacific, said: “In some provinces one in four households depend on women as the main breadwinner, so when women are prevented from working, families, communities, the country loses out.”
Households headed by women, accounting for as many as 26% of returnee families in some districts, face the highest risk of food insecurity and secondary displacement.
The UNDP urged Taliban authorities to allocate more resources and called on donors to lift restrictions on female aid staff.
“Cutting women out of frontline aid work means cutting off vital services for those who need them most,” Wignaraja said.
WASHINGTON: The US military has not yet escorted any commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said on Tuesday, just after US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright deleted a post on X in which he had said the US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the key waterway.
The US-Israel war against Iran has already effectively halted shipments through the Strait along Iran’s coast, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, and Middle East oil producers have run out of storage and stopped pumping.
US President Donald Trump said on March 3 that the US would provide protection through the Strait for oil tankers. The Pentagon on Tuesday renewed threats to hit Iran harder unless shipments can flow through and said it was striking Iranian mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities.
Wright then posted on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”
Soon after, he deleted the post for reasons that were unclear.
The United States has not yet escorted any oil tankers or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the issue at a press conference later on Tuesday.
Commenting on Wright’s remarks, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied an oil ship had been escorted.
“Any movement of the US fleet and its allies will be stopped by our missiles and drones,” Ali Mohammad Naini said in comments carried by Iranian state media.
The top US general earlier on Tuesday said the US military has started looking at ways to potentially escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, should it be ordered to do so.
“We’re looking at a range of options there,” General Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon.
WASHINGTON: The US military has not yet escorted any commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said on Tuesday, just after US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright deleted a post on X in which he had said the US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the key waterway.
The US-Israel war against Iran has already effectively halted shipments through the Strait along Iran’s coast, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, and Middle East oil producers have run out of storage and stopped pumping.
US President Donald Trump said on March 3 that the US would provide protection through the Strait for oil tankers. The Pentagon on Tuesday renewed threats to hit Iran harder unless shipments can flow through and said it was striking Iranian mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities.
Wright then posted on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”
Soon after, he deleted the post for reasons that were unclear.
The United States has not yet escorted any oil tankers or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the issue at a press conference later on Tuesday.
Commenting on Wright’s remarks, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied an oil ship had been escorted.
“Any movement of the US fleet and its allies will be stopped by our missiles and drones,” Ali Mohammad Naini said in comments carried by Iranian state media.
The top US general earlier on Tuesday said the US military has started looking at ways to potentially escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, should it be ordered to do so.
“We’re looking at a range of options there,” General Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon.
President Masoud Pezeshkian says anyone who harbors the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing about the country’s history and past.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a post on his X account on Tuesday, saying Iran is the heir to a civilization with a history of at least 6,000 years.
“In the course of history, no power has been able to erase this renowned name.”
The Iranian president underscored the fact that the Iranian nation is fundamentally characterized by its enduring strength.
He said those who imagine they can destroy Iran are unaware of the country’s deep historical roots and legacy.
“Invaders have come and gone,” the president wrote, “but Iran has remained.”
The United Stated and Israel started a fresh round of aerial aggression on Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the strikes by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases in the region.
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White House contradicts claim of US Navy escort in Hormuz Strait
White House contradicts claim of US Navy escort in Hormuz Strait
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