Politics

Erosion of women’s rights will worsen economic crisis in Afghanistan: UN

Geneva, Apr 18 (EFE).- The restrictions imposed by the Taliban on females in Afghanistan will further worsen the economic situation in the country, the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Afghanistan, Abdallah Al Dardari, said at a press conference Tuesday.

“There will be no sustainable recovery without the active participation of Afghan women in the economy and in public life, which includes delivering on humanitarian and livelihoods-saving projects,” said UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja.

According to the UNDP, Afghanistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 1.3 percent this year and 0.4 percent in 2024, but this increase could be insufficient considering that the UN expects the population to grow by more than two percent, according to the United Nations.

This will imply a steady decline in the country’s per capita GDP.

The Afghan economy suffered a severe collapse two years ago, following the Taliban’s return to power, as the country’s GDP shrank by 20.7 percent in a single year.

Since then, Afghanistan has been placed among the world poorest countries, despite a timid recovery in 2022, when its economy only declined by 3.6 percent.

“A sustained inflow of foreign aid, to the tune of $3.7 billion in 2022, has helped avert the total collapse of Afghanistan,” said Al Dardari.

The UN has contributed $3.2 billion that have directly assisted 26.1 million Afghans. EFE

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