UNITED NATIONS: Afghanistan’s economy and areas affected by the devastating earthquakes in October 2023, “are still hurting”, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said on Thursday, as bans on girls and women continue to thwart basic rights and economic progress.
Kanni Wignaraja, Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, who recently visited Afghanistan told reporters in New York that 69% of Afghans are “subsistence insecure” – meaning they lack enough basic resources.
Something that really hit me was the harsh impact of continuous natural disasters, she said, adding that many parts of the country are facing “dramatic” scarcity of water further disturbing development efforts.
Since the takeover by the Taliban in 2021, the Afghan economy has contracted by 27%, resulting in economic stagnation, according to UNDP. Unemployment has doubled and only 40% of the population has access to electricity.
Sectors such as finance have “basically collapsed” and there are no significant sources of economic activity like public expenditure or exports, leaving farmers and small and medium enterprises as the lifeblood of the faltering economy.
Situation of women in Afghanistan
She also raised concern over the situation of girls and women in Afghanistan.
There have been severe restrictions on females imposed by the Taliban, such as on their dress code and employment in different sectors.
While they can work without restriction in fields such as health or nursing, their employment in the public sector fell even further to about 6%, Wignaraja said.
She added that the biggest challenge is the continued edict that restricts girls’ education. Not being able to move forward after the 6th grade is a major stumbling block.
She also noted the challenges facing local economies and the lack of capital, particularly in the private sector.
UNDP is supporting microfinance initiatives in the country, but with no cash flowing through the system, results are not at the level and scale needed to spur growth.
She expressed optimisim that recent funds from the World Bank for climate projects could prompt other global climate cash investments.
