NEW YORK: A new United Nations report has painted a dire picture of Afghanistan’s economic collapse, revealing a deepening humanitarian catastrophe where three-quarters of the population is unemployed and over 90 percent live below the poverty line.
The report indicates that Afghanistan’s economy is in a continuous downward spiral, with critical metrics showing alarming declines. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 6.5 percent in the first half of 2025. This decline has drastically reduced living standards, with the average monthly per capita income now estimated at a mere $100.
Compounding the crisis is a severe cut in international humanitarian aid, upon which more than 70 percent of Afghans depend for survival. This reduction in assistance has left millions without a lifeline amid soaring unemployment and poverty.
External factors are further straining the fragile economy. The report highlights that the prolonged closure of the border with Pakistan is costing Afghanistan an estimated $1 million per day, severely disrupting trade and transit revenues. Additionally, the forced repatriation of Afghan citizens from neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Iran, has placed immense new pressure on the nation’s already overwhelmed public services, healthcare, and shelter systems.
The convergence of these factors—plummeting incomes, drastic aid cuts, blocked trade routes, and a refugee influx—has created what the UN describes as a severe economic crisis. The situation threatens to push the country, already home to one of the world’s most vulnerable populations, into an even more profound humanitarian disaster, with limited signs of immediate recovery.
Meanwhile thousands of jubilant cricket fans created a sea of green at Islamabad International Airport on Sunday, welcoming home the nation’s new Under-19 champions after a historic victory over arch-rivals India. The scenes erupted as the young team, having clinched the U-19 Asia Cup 2025 title, returned to a nation celebrating their dominant performance.
Chief Minister hailed the team’s “splendid and decisive” triumph, calling it a testament to the players’ exceptional talent and national spirit.
