Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries of the world. In the last decade poverty has only increased and there has been failure to counter the root causes contributing to poverty. The condition is so despite the billions of dollars of aid poured in Afghanistan by the international community. The benefits of huge amount of international aid have not reached common Afghans as those with more political powers have concentrated on gaining much profit from the prevailing environment in which the government is so weak that it cannot control the worsening problem of corruption, despite the continuous international pressure.

Lingering insecurity is another factor that has hampered the economic development of the people of Afghanistan. With the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, the problem of poverty has also become more concerning. 

Insecurity and lack of employment opportunities cause thousands of Afghanistan to travel illegally to the different countries of the world. This travels are made at the risk of lives. It is also believed that in many parts of Afghanistan the people who fight for Taliban have joined them because of poverty and not due to Taliban’s ideology.

According to a survey conducted by Oxfam, the vast majority of Afghans blame poverty and unemployment for the ongoing conflict in their country. The survey found 70 per cent of 700 people questioned, blamed the economic situation for the fighting, with government weakness and corruption the second most important factor behind the conflict. The Afghan leaders are seamlessly busy in finding solutions to various political issues. Before an issue gets resolved, another one pops up and in this way the real issues such as poverty and unemployment remain out of focus.

In the years to come poverty is expected to grab Afghan people firmer than ever before. After the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan by 2014, the level of foreign aids Afghanistan has been receiving, is going to diminish and there will be more jobless people in the country. To tackle the condition Afghanistan needs to revive its industrial and agriculture sectors and also take solid measures to start tapping its mineral resources. Nonetheless, amid growing insecurity, making that possible would be a difficult task for the government.