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.
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.
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have successfully neutralized a major part of the US-Israeli radar capabilities, making Israeli military sites more vulnerable to precision strikes, says a military spokesman.
Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia of the Iranian Army said on Tuesday that the destruction of these surveillance systems has allowed advanced Iranian drones to penetrate air defenses more easily than in the past.
“The Army’s indigenous and advanced drones, relying on modern technology and updated guidance systems, have performed effectively in destroying enemy positions,” General Akraminia said.
He said the Army and IRGC are now hitting enemy targets with “higher precision” due to the degradation of their early-warning systems.
According to intelligence assessments published by Iranian media outlets, approximately half of the radar systems used by US and Israeli forces in the region have been destroyed. The remaining half are reportedly suffering from severe interference and operational weaknesses.
The reports, quoting military sources, also suggest that the enemy is facing a critical shortage of munitions, having consumed 75% of their available stockpiles.
In response to the air defense vacuum, reports indicate the United States has begun transferring missile defense equipment from East Asia to the Middle East to compensate for the losses.
General Akraminia, in his remarks, also condemned the use of Iraqi airspace by American-Zionist forces.
He said despite objections from the Iraqi government, these forces continue to utilize the neighboring country’s skies to conduct aggression against Iran in violation of international law.
“The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to any aggression or threat proportionately, quickly, and decisively,” the spokesman said.
Elon Musk is the wealthiest individual ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion, Forbes said on Tuesday, as a record 3,428 billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge to an all-time high of $20.1 trillion.
Musk topped the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly $500 billion over the past twelve months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026.
He is the first person ever to surpass the $800 billion mark and is on course to become the world’s first trillionaire.
“It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet added more than one billionaire per day over the past twelve months as the AI-powered stock market boom boosted fortunes to previously unimaginable heights.”
The billionaire’s list showed that Larry Page, co-founder of Google, follows far behind Musk, standing at second place with an estimated net worth of $257 billion, followed by his co-founder Sergey Brin at number three with a net wealth of $237 billion.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos was spotted at number four with $224 billion, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, holding $222 billion, rounds out the top 5.
Forbes noted that US President Donald Trump’s fortune increased by 27%, to an estimated $6.5 billion, thanks largely to crypto dealings and his New York fraud penalty being thrown out. He ranks number 645 worldwide.
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