Social Determinants of Rural Household Food Insecurity under the Taliban Regime

Abstract

Despite the severity of food insecurity in Afghanistan, little is known about the factors contributing to household food insecurity (HFI) under the Taliban regime. Therefore, this paper investigated the social determinants of severe HFI in rural areas of Afghanistan. We used the fifth-round survey of 6019 rural households from 25 provinces, collected between July and August 2022 by the Food and Agriculture Organization. We used binary logistic regression to examine the association between household characteristics and HFI. The majority of household heads were male (97.8%) with no education (62.8%). The findings showed that female-headed households had significantly higher odds of severe HFI. Household heads with any level of formal education had significantly reduced odds of severe HFI, while the odds of severe HFI was not different among those with religious/informal household-head education compared to those with no education. Likewise, engagement in any type of agricultural activity decreased the odds of severe HFI. Additionally, household income per member was negatively, while household size was positively associated with severe HFI. In summary, interventions to alleviate HFI among rural households should prioritize income-generating opportunities and skills targeting households with female heads, low levels of household-head education, larger size, no agricultural activities, and low income.

The association of the quality of life with Afghan households’ food insecurity before and after the recent political change in Afghanistan: a comparative analysis

“…While the UN World Food Programme reported that 93% of Afghan households were Fig. 3 The difference of mean score of the QOL domains before and after Taliban's takeover food insecure in 2022 (a 13% increase compared to before the Taliban's governance) [34], the present study shows that the Taliban's takeover has led to a 40% increase in food insecurity among Afghan families. Some studies reported the negative effect of conflict on food security status previously [35].…”

“…One year after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the deplorable situation of Afghans is worsening. The economic situation is dire, the rate of malnutrition is increasing, the rights of women are under threat, and the health care system is collapsing [ 1 ]. The Taliban leadership has created conditions that have resulted in many Afghans being compelled to provide for their basic needs through unacceptable methods, such as selling their children, selling their kidneys, and giving sleeping medicine to children to consume less food [ 2 ].…”