RASC News Agency: The World Food Programme (WFP) has identified Afghanistan as one of 22 countries in the throes of a severe hunger crisis. According to WFP, ongoing political conflicts, climate instability, and economic pressures are anticipated to drive millions to the brink of collapse in the coming months. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), WFP noted, “Afghanistan is among the 22 countries and regions classified as critical hunger hotspots in the latest forecasts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme.”
Findings from a recent field study, published on October 30, reveal that “economic poverty” and “family pressures” are primary drivers of forced labor in Afghanistan. Conducted across eight provinces, the study highlights that 33.3% of respondents believe that children are disproportionately affected, often becoming the primary victims of forced labor in the country.
A source from the former Afghanistan government has reported that, based on a 2020 study that was withheld for political reasons, approximately three million children were engaged in forced labor during the last two years of the previous government’s rule. However, a child rights researcher now estimates that this figure has doubled to six million in the past three years.
According to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index, jointly released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, 70% of Afghanistani children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. The report underscores that Afghanistan has approximately five million more children than adults living in poverty, with 15.5 million children and 10.8 million adults facing poverty nationwide.
