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The United Nations Development Program stated that by mid-2022, prolonged drought, COVID-19 pandemic and political turmoil may cause the poverty rate in Afghanistan to soar to 97%.
The United Nations warned that unless the country’s political and economic crisis is resolved, approximately 97% of the Afghan population may live below the poverty line.
In a report released on Thursday, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) stated that due to the contraction of Afghanistan’s real gross domestic product (GDP), the poverty rate could increase by as much as 25%.
Even before the Taliban took over quickly last month, Afghanistan relied heavily on aid—more than one-third of the country’s gross domestic product came from foreign funds.
“In addition to the humanitarian and economic crises, we are also facing a full-scale development collapse,” said Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
“Half of the population already needs humanitarian support. This analysis shows that the lives of the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan are deteriorating rapidly and catastrophically,” she added.
Earlier this week, international aid agencies warn In Afghanistan’s “imminent humanitarian crisis”, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) said the country’s fragile medical system is facing “potential collapse”.
United Nations Already warned 18 million people in Afghanistan are facing a humanitarian disaster.
After the Taliban seizure of power led to the flight of aid workers and subsequent funding cuts, the United Nations called for nearly 200 million US dollars in additional funding for life-saving aid in Afghanistan.
According to the report, a combination of factors may cause Afghanistan’s baseline poverty rate (currently 72%) to surge.
These factors include the prolonged drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the turbulence caused by the current political transition.
“The transition to the new authorities, the pandemic, the drought, the upcoming winter-these have all constituted major challenges. Together, they have created a crisis that requires urgent action,” said Vigna Raja.
In response, UNDP proposed a package of interventions, including basic services and basic income, aimed at supporting nearly 9 million vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.
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