Afghanistan
Recent Conflict
Due to the oppressive policies of the Taliban regime and the decades of continuous fighting that the country has experienced, over 50 per cent of Afghans, or 25 million people, are living below the poverty line. Poverty is widespread because the average Afghan earns only $2.19 per day and families must survive on one income, due to Taliban policies that prevented women from receiving an education or holding a job. These policies, and the war with the US, have created a generation of children who have not received an education.
Most Afghans make a living through subsistence farming, but the region has experienced drought in recent years, further decreasing already marginal incomes and resulting in a population that does not have the resources necessary to survive. The country is currently 2.2 million tons short of the cereals required to feed its citizens. Due to this shortfall, 7.5 million people are considered extremely vulnerable in terms of their food situation.
ince 2002, Afghans have been streaming home, mostly from Iran and Pakistan. As of July 2009, more than 5 million Afghans had returned to their country, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Both internally displaced people and refugees face "re-displacement" upon their return home, either because of the lack of economic opportunities or because of unresolved land and property disputes or because their homes are now battle zones. Rural areas are increasingly insecure, forcing many returning Afghans to migrate to towns and cities.
Many also face the risk of landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from the war. Hundreds of people are killed or injured each year, according to the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan. About half the victims are children.
