SHAFAQNA- The number of Afghans in poverty nearly doubled to 34 million and the country’s economy is on the brink of collapse, a new UN’s report shows.
According to the report, in 2020 the number of Afghans in poverty was 19 million compared to 34 million now, a 15 million increase. Much of the blame had to do with the Taliban taking over the following year and the sudden loss of international aid and access to finance, the report noted.
In 2021, many aid programmes were cut back when countries refused to deal with the Taliban, resulting in an economic crisis.
“The cutoff in foreign assistance that previously accounted for almost 70 percent of the government budget, has resulted in a sizable squeeze of public finances,” the report executive summary said.
Source: middleeasteye