KABUL (TOLOnews): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that it has committed $405 million in grants to United Nations agencies to help ensure the supply of adequate food and sustain the delivery of essential health and educational services for the Afghan people.
The ADB has released its annual report titled “Building Resilience in Challenging Times.”
The $405 million, the ADB said “is aligned with ADB’s approach for fragile and conflict-affected situations.”
“By the end of 2022, it had provided nutritionally balanced food to almost 1.19 million people, including 583,958 women and girls, and helped sustain production of wheat and livestock, along with livelihoods support for 201,829 rural households, benefiting 1.9 million people, including 956,704 women and girls,” the report is said. “At the same time, 5.31 million people (62% female) received access to basic health and essential hospital services and about 1.9 million people (50% female) were vaccinated against COVID-19.”
The Ministry of Economy (MoE) said that the ADB has been one of the main supporters of development projects in Afghanistan over the past two-decades.
“The Asian Development Bank has been one of the main supporters of the infrastructural projects in the energy sector, transport, agriculture and water development sources. The resumption of its activities will cause an improvement in the economic and employment situation in the country,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesman for the MoE.
According to the ADB’s report, in Afghanistan, the drought and flash floods worsened food insecurity and contributed to soaring prices of staple items, which impacted the entire population.
This comes as the residents of Kabul called on the Islamic Emirate and relevant organizations to create job opportunities for them.
“We want them to provide us jobs so we can be out of poverty,” said Khan Wali, a resident of Kabul.
Economists believe that the lack of implementation of development projects in the country has caused a surge in unemployment.
“The implementation of development projects, particularly the infrastructural projects, can ensure economic stability in Afghanistan which can also create jobs and improve economic opportunities,” said Shakir Yaqoobi, an economist.
According to the report, the ADB announced a $14 billion package of support to strengthen food security between 2022 and 2025, committing $3.7 billion in 2022 in a bid to alleviate the food crisis in the region.
ADB commits $405m in aid grants for Afghanistan
