Afghan economy on verge of collapse under Taliban: WFP Official

The economic situation in post-war Afghanistan under the Taliban government continues to deteriorate, Mary-Ellen McGroarty, country director at World Food Programme (WFP) in Kabul, said on Wednesday.

"The situation that the (Afghan) economy is in is just actually exacerbating," McGroarty told media.

Afghans are not receiving their wages, and there is a shortage of work, she said. At the same time, the country's healthcare system is nearly destroyed, and food and fuel prices have skyrocketed, McGroarty added.

A restart of the economy is urgently needed and the first step should be unlocking reserves, the WFP official said.

After the Taliban entered Kabul in mid-August, leading to the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund suspended financial aid to the new Afghan government. Their support accounted for nearly 75 per cent of Afghanistan's public expenditure.

The United States has also frozen billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )