Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

Consumption DisparityConsumption inequality is a concern. TheWorld Bank has estimated (based on the 2005NRVA) the bottom 10 percent of the populationaccounts for 3.6 percent of total consumptionwhile the bottom 30% account for 15.6% of totalconsumption. Combined with very low overalllevels of consumption, this indicates that thepoorest population suffers from high levels ofdeprivation (table 3.5).Table 3.5. Share of consumption by quintileGroupShare of totalconsumption (%)Bottom 10 % 3.6Bottom 30 % 15.6Top 30% 47.8Top 10% 21.1Top 1% 3.5Poverty also varies significantly between provinces.Poverty headcount rates vary fromaround 10 percent to more than 70 percent,with poverty more severe in the Northeast,Central Highlands and parts of the Southeast.Entire provinces like Daikundi, Badakhshan,Zabul and Paktika represent large pockets ofpoverty.The 2005 NRVA indicates a significant disparityin poverty between rural people and theKuchi population compared to urban populations.Around 45 percent of rural and Kuchipopulations appear to be poor as opposed to 27percent of those who live in urban areas. Ruralpopulations have the highest rates of food insecurity,with 45 percent not meeting dailyminimum food requirements. Moreover, it isnoted that 40 percent and 41 percent of the Kuchiand of urban population respectively arealso unable to meet their minimum food intake(table 3.6).Table 3.6. Estimated poverty headcount ratesand food insecurity (spring 2007)17SectorFoodpovertyCBNpovertyFood insecurityindexKuchi 40 45 39Rural 45 45 39Urban 41 27 37National 45 42 39These disparities are reflected in primaryschool enrollment rates (table 3.7), though inthis regards, the Kuchi population is particularlydisadvantaged.Table 3.7. Enrollment rates (ages 6-9) 18Group Female (%) Male (%) All (%)Kuchi 5.0 5.8 5.4Rural 20.1 28.8 24.6Urban 34.7 34.9 34.8All 21.2 28.4 24.9Characteristics of Rural PovertyThe rural population – who make up the majorityof the poor – account for approximately 80percent of the population. The main characteristicof the rural poverty is high food insecurityand a lack of access to infrastructure and basicpublic services. Illiteracy rates are prevalentamong rural Afghans and the level of educationis low. Rural households are highly dependableon agriculture. However, non-farmactivity has started to play a bigger role in thecoping strategy of the rural poor. The poorestamong the rural households are those who livein remote and mountainous area, whose headis illiterate or without any education and whodo not poses land or livestock.Characteristics of Poverty amongKuchisKuchis are nomadic pastoralists (estimated at1.5 million people) and are heavily dependenton livestock and migration patterns for theirlivelihood. In recent years, 15 percent of Kuchifamilies have been forced to cease migrationand settle. Kuchi poverty has many of the corecharacteristics of rural poverty although foodinsecurity is not as high as in the case of ruralhouseholds (table 3.6). However, the poorestKuchis are those who have settled. Reasons forsettling include loss of livestock due to recentdroughts and insecurity which disrupted traditionalmigratory routes. Moreover, the biggestcause of being settled is growing banditry andlocal crime as well as conflict with settledpopulations over grazing areas. The failure oflocal authorities to deal with disputes over traditionalpasture rights has already led to num-17 Source: The World Bank based on Spring 2007survey.18 Source: World Bank Staff Estimates based on 2005 NRVA.30Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)