Afghanistan’s Economy At Risk Of 10 Percent Drop As Aid Declines, Says IRC
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that Afghanistan is on the verge of a deeper economic and humanitarian collapse as international aid continues to decline.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that Afghanistan is on the verge of a deeper economic and humanitarian collapse as international aid continues to decline.
In a report released ahead of the Berlin Climate Security Conference, the relief organisation said that if the current trend persists, Afghanistan could lose up to 10 percent of its gross national income (GNI).
The IRC found that conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan are bearing the brunt of global funding cuts while receiving the smallest share of climate adaptation financing.
According to the report, development assistance to 17 vulnerable nations including Afghanistan fell by more than 40 percent between 2013 and 2023.
The organisation warned that climate change, through recurring droughts, floods, and unpredictable rainfall patterns, is threatening the livelihoods of millions of Afghans. The overlap between the climate crisis and shrinking financial support, it said, has worsened Afghanistan’s outlook for food security and social stability.
The report also highlighted that conflict-affected and fragile states, which together account for just 11 percent of the world’s population, represent 70 percent of global humanitarian needs. Yet in 2022, these countries received only 12 percent of international climate adaptation funding.
The IRC said that climate finance is increasingly being channelled towards stable and low-risk countries, leaving crisis-hit regions such as Afghanistan largely excluded from vital investment.
