A devastating new UN report details a nation buckling under the weight of a forced population surge and economic freefall, with women facing systematic exclusion from work and aid.
KARACHI – Afghanistan is caught in a devastating downward spiral, with nine out of ten families facing severe hunger and being forced into crushing debt to survive, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported Wednesday. The findings depict a nation pushed “beyond its limits” by a combination of mass deportations, natural disasters, and a crippled economy under Taliban rule.
The crisis has been dramatically worsened by the forced return of more than 4.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in just over a year—a population surge equivalent to adding the entire state of Louisiana to the United States in a short timeframe.
A Nation Swamped and Impoverished
The sheer scale of the returnee crisis has overwhelmed the country’s fragile infrastructure. The UNDP survey of 48,000 households reveals a picture of profound deprivation:
- Insurmountable Debt: The average returning family is saddled with debt of $373 to $900—a sum that can be nearly half of the country’s annual GDP per capita.
- Impossible Choices: Over 50% of returnees skip doctor visits and medical care to afford food.
- Collapsing Services: Classrooms are packed with up to 100 students, and joblessness among new returnees is nearly universal at 95%.
“Without urgent support, the overlapping crises of poverty, exclusion and migration will deepen,” the UNDP warned, highlighting that international donor pledges have plummeted since 2021.
“Cutting Women Out Means Cutting Off Vital Services”
The Taliban’s restrictions on women are having a catastrophic knock-on effect on the entire society. With female labor force participation plummeting to a mere 6%, households led by women—who make up a quarter of returnee families in some areas—are at the greatest risk of starvation.
“In some provinces one in four households depend on women as the main breadwinner,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN assistant secretary-general. “So when women are prevented from working, families, communities, the country lose out.”
The UNDP issued a direct appeal to both the Taliban authorities and international donors, stating that allowing female aid workers to operate is not a political issue but a practical necessity. “Cutting women out of frontline aid work means cutting off vital services for those who need them most,” Wignaraja emphasized.
