With the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, the United Nations and other relief agencies have described the economic situation in the country as dire. These organizations have stated that the majority of Afghan citizens need humanitarian aid. The Save the Children Fund, in its recent report, has mentioned that in the coming year, one out of every three children in Afghanistan will face hunger. The findings of the Save the Children Fund indicate that nearly 16 million people in Afghanistan will experience food insecurity by March 2024, with over 7 million of them being children. According to this report, job opportunities have decreased, and the cost of food and fuel has risen during the winter, exacerbating poverty among the citizens.
Meanwhile, residents of the country are concerned about the continued unemployment, the spread of poverty, and the Taliban’s indifference to providing services. They say that with the arrival of the winter season, their problems have multiplied, and many children are forced to engage in difficult work alongside the streets.
The Save the Children Fund, in its recent report, has stated that in the upcoming year (2024), one out of every three children in Afghanistan will face hunger. According to the findings of this organization, nearly 16 million people in Afghanistan will confront food insecurity by March 2024, with over 7 million of them being children.
The Save the Children Fund has emphasized that the global community should not withdraw support for Afghanistan. The organization insists that humanitarian assistance must immediately increase to save lives in the upcoming winter.
The Save the Children Fund’s report states, “It is estimated that 15.8 million individuals (more than one-third of Afghanistan’s population) will face acute food insecurity before March 2024, with approximately half of them, namely 7.8 million, being children. The classification of food security phases during the winter results in decreased job opportunities, and the prices of food and fuel generally rise.”
The child support organization expresses concern about the increasing poverty and hunger among children in Afghanistan, who not only lack access to education but also face a lack of suitable opportunities for work.
Esmatullah, a child laborer in the province of Kunduz, reveals that he works for 100 Afghanis per day and brings home bread for his family at night. He is worried that he won’t be able to afford firewood and fuel for heating his home in the upcoming winter. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he says, “There are seven people in our house, and two of us are working. We don’t have wood to burn in the coming winter.”
In addition to children, numerous men also complain about the lack of employment and job opportunities. Many laborers and individuals seeking work express concerns about the ongoing life difficulties and the poor economic situation.
Abdul Rahman, a resident of Herat province, expresses concern about the increasing poverty and approaching winter. He states that during the day, he goes to the “Gozar” area to find work, but he can only secure employment one day a week.
The Herat resident adds, “I go to the Gozar area in the morning, hoping someone will hire me, but in a week I can only find work for a day, it’s because jobs are scarce. There are too many laborers, and employers take advantage of our desperation, setting a daily wage of 150 Afghanis. Due to severe unemployment, we are forced to work for this meager wage.”
Abdul Rahman, concerned about his dire economic situation, says, “Winter has begun, and I have nothing in the house. There’s no flour, no oil, no rice, and no work or income. I’m at a loss for what to do. My children and family need bread, and God knows we have nothing.”
Poverty and unemployment have increased in the majority of the country’s provinces, and citizens complain about their destitution and helplessness in finding a word or a piece of bread. According to them, with the Taliban’s control, only those with ethnic and ideological ties to this group can engage in government activities.
Thousands of former security forces members who are living in hiding inside the country or their families cannot access suitable job opportunities.
Rafiullah, a 19-year-old resident of Andar district in Ghazni province, is the head of a seven-member family. He says that he lost his father, a member of the former government’s security forces, four years ago in a roadside mine explosion.
Rafiullah shares a bitter story of his life. He says that he lives in a rented house and works as a manual laborer from dawn to dusk on the roads of Ghazni city, using a wheelbarrow, to support his family’s expenses.
Rafiullah says, “Our life is very difficult; there are no job opportunities. Whatever few rupees I earn daily, we use them for food consumption. Now that winter has arrived, the expenses for winter are overwhelming. We are bewildered. Someone bought a bit of firewood for us yesterday; it will last for a while, but it is truly very hard, relying on people’s generosity and assistance.”
The country’s residents are concerned about the challenging economic situation and persistent unemployment, as the World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that in the cities of Afghanistan, one out of every three families cannot cover their living expenses and is seeking employment. The WFP has repeatedly emphasized that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis has become unimaginably more complex and severe.
According to this organization, people have lost their jobs, prices have risen, and a new level of hunger has emerged, with currently 15.3 million people facing acute food insecurity in the country.
On the other hand, thousands of individuals have undertaken migration due to extreme poverty, enduring hardships, and taking on perilous and difficult journeys. Currently, scores of young people have fallen prey to human traffickers at the borders of neighboring countries and the region. Numerous visual and audio accounts of the harsh lives of refugees at the borders of Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan have been released, reflecting the endless suffering and immense hardships faced by the citizens of Afghanistan.
Earlier, the World Bank also described Afghanistan’s economy as fragile and reliant on foreign support. According to this institution, improving living conditions in Afghanistan requires prioritizing human capital, essential services, and climate resilience, while avoiding misogynistic policies.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) continues to place Afghanistan on the emergency list among three countries facing the danger and worsening humanitarian crisis, as reported.
It is noteworthy that, in addition to male unemployment, the widespread restrictions against women and their deprivation of work and social occupations have escalated the humanitarian crisis and poverty in Afghanistan. The expulsion of over 500,000 migrants from Pakistan and thousands more from Iran has significantly added to the depth of the humanitarian crisis and the intensification of poverty in Afghanistan.
