In line with growing concerns from international organizations about the high levels of need in Afghanistan, the World Bank recently announced that 25% of the country’s population is facing food insecurity.
The World Bank has warned that this figure will rise to over 14 million people by March 2025, making up 32% of Afghanistan’s population.
According to the World Bank statement: “The economic situation in Afghanistan continues to worsen; fuel prices have risen, and people are grappling with persistent unemployment and unfavorable weather conditions. Climate-related damages and the return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries have exacerbated these issues.”
Meanwhile, many citizens in Kabul and other provinces who are struggling with poverty have called on the de-facto Islamic Emirate government to create job opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
Akhtar, a resident of Kabul and head of a family of six, who survives through daily labor, says: “There is no work, no opportunity, and we are left hoping for a loan to buy bread. When there is work, we are willing to do it, but right now, we are only searching for a loan to get some bread.”
Layla, a resident of the Injil district of Herat and head of a family of 10, who has sent her son to work in Iran to support their household, says the money her son sends back is insufficient. Many nights, she and her family go to bed hungry. “The money my son earns is very little, the Iranian rial is cheap, and there are days when we don’t know how to afford food for breakfast and dinner,” she explains.
Ghulam Hazrat, a street vendor in Ghazni city and head of a family of five, says he earns between 100 to 150 afghanis a day, which is not enough to sustain his family. He often struggles to decide whether to buy food or fuel. “Aid comes to the mosques, but it never reaches us. Our living conditions are dire. We urge the government to create job opportunities so we can improve our lives,” he says.
Earlier, Din Mohammad Hanif, the head of the Ministry of Economy under the Islamic Emirate, had urged the United Nations to focus its aid efforts on development projects in Afghanistan this year to alleviate poverty.
