KABUL,
Afghanistan—Afghanistan's security situation has overshadowed the glaring humanitarian needs of the nation's poorest, and their plight may worsen as international assistance wanes, a top
U.N. official said Wednesday.
Economic hardship could be an unwanted byproduct of the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces, as the
U.S.-led military coalition prepares to pull out its foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. The transition will likely coincide with a decline in foreign aid that could lead to critical economic problems as related jobs dry up, according to a
World Bank report released this week.
The report said up to 10 percent of the work force has benefited from aid-financed jobs, most short-term. As aid decreases, unemployment and underemployment are expected to rise. It said the impact would be felt most in conflict areas and cities.
That could result in more economic migrants flooding makeshift camps, especially in urban centers. Those are already filled with people displaced by fighting or returning from refuge abroad, said
Valerie Amos, the U.N."s humanitarian affairs chief and emergency relief coordinator. ...
