34m Afghans in poverty under Taliban rule: UN

The number of Afghans in poverty nearly doubled to 34 million as the nation was racked by the collapse of the US-backed government and the Taliban takeover, the UN said yesterday.

After the US-backed republic fell in 2021, vast foreign subsidies were halted and aid programmes dramatically cut back as many countries refused to deal with the Taliban.

In December last year, those NGOs still providing vital help were dealt a further blow by a Taliban government order barring Afghan women from working for them.

This month, curb was extended to UN's Afghan female employees and the organisation said it faces an "appalling choice" over whether to continue aid schemes. Yesterday, UNDP released data estimating 34 million Afghans were living below the poverty line.