Afghanistan's Overlapping Food & Debt Crisis can have Disastrous Impacts: World Bank

According to a recent World Bank assessment, Afghanistan has had a severe humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban seized power and is currently most at risk of experiencing simultaneous food and debt crises.

The paper stated that "overlapping financial and food crises can have severe effects, with international assistance being the sole answer." According to sources, cited by various analysts, one of the main causes of the nation's escalating economic issues is a lack of investment.

According to a new analysis by the World Bank, seven countries are most at risk of experiencing simultaneous food and debt crises. Afghanistan tops the list, followed by Eritrea, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Yemen.

In response to the study, the Ministry of Economy nonetheless blamed the US sanctions for the unrest in Afghanistan's economy.

"Our ideas are built on a number of pillars, including bolstering Afghanistan's infrastructure, modernising Afghan agriculture, and expanding trade and transit. We can achieve self-sufficiency through these...components," said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy.

Additionally, Afghanistan's production of both irrigated and rain-fed wheat is predicted to be below average, with the northern and north-eastern rainfed regions forecast to currently have the biggest deficits.

"The drought affected the farmers' crops, which caused them to suffer. A spokesperson for the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, Musbahuddin Mustaeen, noted that the drought not only affected Afghanistan but the entire world.

The research also said that one way to prevent the disastrous effects of overlapping debt and food crises is to provide emergency aid to Afghanistan and all the at-risk nations.

According to a number of studies, following the onset of political unrest, Afghan domestic inputs have become more expensive and challenging to obtain as a result of supplier closures and supply chain disruptions.

According to a local survey, the poverty rate in the nation has increased to nearly 95% since the overthrow of the previous administration, and 56% of people are considering leaving the nation due to a decline in daily income. Moreover, as the nation struggles with a humanitarian crisis, millions of Afghans are on the verge of hunger.