Consequences of conflict in Afghanistan continues .....

By the mid-1990s, most of the country’s limited modern infrastructure was destroyed, and traditional irrigation systems greatly
suffered from destruction and lack of maintenance. Even more important than the physical damage were the increasing breakdown of the state and civil society over time and the progressive erosion of institutions—both modern and traditional—which had governed the pre-war economy and society. Government-provided social services, which had never had a strong outreach into the rural areas, atrophied and to a large extent stopped functioning. NGOs and UN agencies had essentially taken up the task of providing essential social services to parts of the population, building on community-based efforts in various parts of the country. Inflation wiped out the value of the Afghan currency in the 1990s.

Agricultural output came down sharply, livestock herds were depleted, and large-scale industries almost ceased functioning. Millions of Afghans became refugees in neighboring Pakistan and Iran, and to a lesser extent elsewhere. This external population played an important role in supporting Afghanistan’s economy through remittances. And finally, land and infrastructure were widely and indiscriminately sown with landmines, causing enormous human and economic losses.

There was a modest economic recovery in the mid-1990s in areas that became largely free of conflict. Agricultural production increased; livestock rose sharply in numbers, taking advantage of widely available unutilized grazing lands; and horticultural production also grew based on restoration and expansion of orchards and vineyards. Substantial numbers of refugees returned to their homes with international assistance. The economic recovery was concentrated in areas taken over relatively early by the Taleban. However, the deterioration in social services (particularly education) was aggravated by the Taleban’s social policies, which excluded women from work and girls from school.

To be continued.....