KABUL (SW) – United Nations Development Program (UNDP) officials express concern over the rising poverty in Afghanistan, highlighting a significant decrease in donor aid and an alarming situation where “Around 85% of Afghans live on less than US $1 a day”.
Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Development Program, has discussed with the German Association for the United Nations for Addressing the Challenging Situation of Women who are disproportionately affected by poverty.
“We focus on directly supporting women-owned business, job creation, essential social services, renewable energy, and disaster management,” the statement quoted Kanni Wignaraja.
Simultaneously, experts on economic issues identify climate change, drought, and devastating floods as primary factors contributing to the escalation of poverty in Afghanistan.
“At the functional level, the lack of economic infrastructure and the lack of investment in infrastructure from both the caretaker government and non-governmental organizations have caused the spread of poverty and the lack of job opportunities in the country,” said Abdul-Nasir Rashtia, an expert on economic issues.
Rafiq Sadeghyar, another expert on economic issues, suggests that the United Nations must resume its development projects to reduce poverty in Afghanistan.
It is worth noting that recently, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), expressing concern about the rising poverty in Afghanistan, has stated that in 2024, approximately 23 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian aid. According to OCHA, half of Afghanistan’s population is currently grappling with poverty, with a significant majority being women.
