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Source: World Bank GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) (Sorted by region)

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Afghanistan is Asia's poorest country and this graph shows that they have the lowest GDP per capita compared to other countries in their region.

Based on 2020 data from the Asian Development Bank, 49.4% of the proportion of the population living below the national poverty line and under 5 mortality rate is 58 per 1000 live births.

Due to a lack of estimates of income per capita, Afghanistan has not appeared on the UNDP's Human Development Index since 1996. In 1996, Afghanistan's HDI ranked 169 out of the total 174 countries.

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We recommend that they invest their foreign aid in their people for consumption and investment purposes (like putting money into the education and healthcare systems) rather than using it for personal and corrupt use. The poor delivery of where foreign aid is dispersed to affects the poverty levels of the people in Afghanistan.

We also recommend that the government officials undergo a better checks and balance system so that there are less corrupt officials in office. The officials influence the policies and laws of the land and that influences the well-being of the people of Afghanistan and contributes to an impoverished lifestyle.

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Elected officials consist of former Mujahadeen, Taliban, communists, reformists, and islamic fundamentalists. Some early provincial governors were former warlords.

Corruption and organized crime exist at all levels of society including government and ministerial level involvement in illegal trade of narcotics

Officially the top exports include raisins and pine nuts but in reality their largest export is opiates

The Afghan National police was viewed by civilians in many areas as a source of danger rather than security.

Have been accused of improper treatment of the local population and ineffective in controlling crime

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To address corruption and improve governance, efforts between the government and international community should identify specific and measurable goals for anti-corruption and institutional strengthening that represent shared priorities

Although the Afghan National Police has been ineffective, the Afghan National Army is considered a success due to their young recruits, good training, and modern equipment. More support should be provided to the ANA and reforms and more training should be put into the ANP.

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In Chapter V, "Structural Change and Development Strategies," we learned about the foreign aid controversy. Right now, with the Taliban in power, Afghanistan is heavily dependent upon other countries foreign aid. This is further perpetuated by the fact that billions of their dollars are frozen internationally right now and they cannot access that money until the Taliban keep their promise to provide education to all the girls of Afghanistan.

According to Early and the Skeptic's View, there is a negative correlation between aid and growth, and oftentimes, increased aid can lead to an increased consumption but not to increased investment. It is important that the country of Afghanistan is using the foreign aid for investment purposes rather than just consumption purposes! Furthermore, since there are very corrupt government officials in Afghanistan, the aid received may not even necessarily be funneled the most effectively. Therefore it is important that aid programs rigorously evaluate where the funds are going and that they are being cautious concerning achievements (week 6, slide 21).

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Source: World Bank Population Growth (Annual %) Indicator

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Afghanistan has a high population growth compared to other countries in the world.

High population growth represents problems for a country as it causes an increased need for food, infrastructure, and services.

As more than 50% of the population consists of children under the age of 15, there is a labor shortage which halts economic growth from happening.

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Slowing population growth rate: lower growth rates would improve pressure on food insecurity, increase available income, increase accessibility to existing services and infrastructure.

Education: Sex education in schools should be required. Better education should promote individuals to only have children when they are financially ready.

Healthcare: Free access to contraceptives and visits for pregnant women.

More rights and protection of women: Policies that would prevent forced marriages of women and underage girls could lower the population growth rate.

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60% girls who being denied education

child marriage

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Access to internet in school and universities to enhance learning

Providing rural areas access to technology, communication, and internet can increase the literacy rates and be used to educate those who are unable to attend school

Reducing education costs by government subsidy

A School Lunch Program. It can reduce the number of malnourished children and at the same time motivate them to come to school.

Raising the Quality of Education through Teacher Education

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In chapter II of our textbook on "Inequality," we learned that the the variance in access to education across countries is a potential determinant of income inequality (week 8, slide 22). This means that people in societies with limited access to education tend to acquire less skills and therefore earn lower wages.
According to UNICEF, in Afghanistan, there is an estimated 3.7 million children out-of-school and 60% of them are girls. The country needs to focus on providing education to girls specifically, for this is both of moral and economic importance. Additionally, UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education in Afghanistan by improving institutional capacity and developing programs that focus on early childhood development.  (https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/education)

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Access to education is a right for every child. UNICEF has worked with the government and partners for decades to increase the number of children going to school.

UNICEF focuses on the enrolment and retention of the most vulnerable children, specifically those who are out of school, and girls. We support the formal school system and the government's Community-Based Education (CBE) programme, establishing Community-Based Schools and Accelerated Learning Centres within a three-kilometre range of each child's community. We help identify alternative pathways to learning and increase education opportunities for the hardest-to-reach. The vision for the coming years is to enroll around 50 per cent of the out-of-school children, which is around 1.7 million children by mobilizing support to the CBE Investment case.
Improving quality education
UNICEF works with the Ministry of Education and other partners to improve the quality of education, build better education systems, and support environments that are conducive to learning and development.

The government of Afghanistan has adopted an approach, which focuses on inclusiveness, child-centred learning and a safe, healthy, and protective learning environment with active community participation. UNICEF also helps the Ministry of Education in its efforts to develop a National Assessment Framework for the primary education system, linked to a national qualification framework.
Improving institutional capacity
UNICEF advocates with the highest levels of Government and provides continuous technical and financial support to the Ministry Education to improve management practices and coordination for partnership at all levels.

At the national level, UNICEF supports the development and roll-out of new policies, strategies, and programmes with a special focus on out-of-school children, girls' education, and early childhood development. At the community level, UNICEF works closely with School Management Shuras (consultative councils), parents, community members, decision-makers, and children themselves to improve community school management.

Emergency preparedness and response

UNICEF provides emergency education to ensure children continue going to school during disasters and conflicts. UNICEF and Save the Children co-lead the Education in Emergencies Working Group which supports the Ministry of Education in its disaster response. UNICEF focuses on promoting social cohesion and a culture of peace in local communities, especially in regions where fear and violence persist.

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54% of children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished and 34% are underweight (Poverty and food security in Afghanistan : analysis based on the national risk and vulnerability assessment of 2007/08 (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group.)

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Interim Taliban administration restrictive policies on women’s education and work will continue to lower growth prospects (world bank)

Afghan women still rank among the worst in the world as most are illiterate, have no access to healthcare, and child and forced marriages are common.

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The temperatures in Afghanistan are extreme. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are very cold. The highest recorded temperature in Afghanistan was 122 degrees Fahrenheit and the lowest recorded temperature in Afghanistan was -62 degrees Fahrenheit. (https://www.enjoytravel.com/en/travel-news/interesting-facts/facts-about-afghanistan)

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According to the UNODC, Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium. As of 2021, Afghanistan produces 80-90% of the world’s opium supply.

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Islam is the official religion of Afghanistan. There are no public Christian churches in Afghanistan.

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The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in late 2021 and Afghanistan’s economy imploded. A majority of the population is left struggling to afford food and other basic essentials. Furthermore, billions of dollars in assets held abroad are frozen until the Taliban honors their human rights promises like to allow all girls to be educated (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718)

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One of the main reasons we chose to look into the country of Afghanistan is because I, Zella, am half-Afghan. My father, Masoud, was born in Afghanistan and lived there until he was about 9 years old until he had to flee the country in January of 1980 because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan. My family was put in great danger.
I will never forget the story that my grandmother told me about right before they fled the country. She told me that after the Soviets invaded, one of the soldier’s came to the front door of my family’s home. My family’s butler opened the door and immediately put his hands up in the air to surrender, but without hesitation, the soldier shot clean through the butler’s hand. My grandmother packed the butler’s hand with sugar and shortly after, my family fled to refuge in India for a few months.
In late 1996, the Taliban seized the capital of Afghanistan and gained control over the country. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States and their allies invaded Afghanistan to remove the Taliban government from power. However, Afghanistan has remained a war-torn country since then. Recently, in 2021, the United States withdrew their troops in Afghanistan and the Taliban has again regained control.
The economic state in Afghanistan continues to be dire. There is mass unemployment, the housing market has collapsed, and the country is dependent on aid and weak institutions. Additionally, malnutrition rates are rising, women’s rights are curtailed, and the healthcare system is falling apart, i.e. there are high maternal mortality rates (https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/08/afghanistan-one-year-taliban-rule).
My younger brother, Jacob, who now attends Yale University actually created a website to help aid refugees from Afghanistan. This website provides resources to things like refugee agencies, housing aid, and a public forum for Afghans to connect with one another. If you would like to check out the website, you can visit afghanan.com.

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Removing gender pay gap

Education for girls

Gender education in schools

More rights and protection of women: Policies that would prevent forced marriages

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Emergency services would be able to effectively respond to needs by having a more effective communication technology

Better technology in hospitals would reduce child and birth mortality