The World Food Programme (WFP) says declining job opportunities and wages have reduced the real purchasing power of unskilled workers in Afghanistan by 25 percent compared with the previous year.
In a report published on Monday, October 12, the agency said unskilled workers have an average of two days of work per week.
According to the WFP, this figure has fallen by 14 percent compared with the previous year and by 21 percent compared with the three-year average.
The report also found that wages for unskilled workers have declined by 5 percent compared with the previous year.
The WFP added that the purchasing power of households’ dependent on livestock farming has also decreased.
According to the agency, a livestock farmer can buy 260 kilograms of low-quality wheat flour by selling a one-year-old female sheep.
This amount represents a 12 percent decline compared with the previous year and a 7 percent decrease compared with the three-year average.
The WFP said falling incomes and rising prices have limited households’ ability to obtain the food they need.
The agency emphasized that higher fuel and chemical fertilizer prices have increased transportation and production costs, affecting the supply of goods.
Meanwhile, the prices of wheat grain and low-quality wheat flour have each risen by 10 percent compared with the previous year, while the price of high-quality wheat flour has increased by 6 percent.
The WFP added that the prices of pilaf rice and shola rice fell by 1.9 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, during the first week of October.
However, pilaf rice remains 17 percent more expensive than a year ago, while shola rice prices are 31 percent higher.
The prices of cooking oil, sugar and salt have also increased by 12 percent, 10 percent and 4 percent, respectively, compared with the previous year. In contrast, prices of pulses have fallen by 12 percent and bread by 3 percent.
According to the WFP, potato prices fell by 4.1 percent, onion prices by 3.1 percent and tomato prices by 0.2 percent during the first week of October.
Afghanistan is facing shrinking employment opportunities and rising living costs, while many households depend on daily earnings to meet their basic needs.
