A senior manager of an NGO working in Nangrahar province, Afghanistan said of the U.S. aid cuts: “Everyone [in the organization] is frustrated and thinks their job can be terminated at any time. The workload has increased because so many employees are leaving, and things are just not normal. It feels like it did during the August 2021 Taliban takeover: nothing is clear and everyone is wondering whether their job will be terminated or their salary cut.”
Date: 5/25
Region: Europe & Central Asia
Country: Afghanistan
Topic: Economy & Livelihoods
Policy Lens: Economic & Trade Interests
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote was collected by the Afghan Analysts Network, and attributed to a senior manager of an international NGO whose organization was affected by U.S. aid cuts.
Devex Researcher Note: A major driver of insecurity and anxiety for aid workers, the mass NGO layoffs in Afghanistan that have resulted from the aid disruptions have been compounded by the lack of other job opportunities. Many aid workers ultimately choose to volunteer or take pay cuts rather than lose their job entirely. The resulting impact on livelihoods and employment opportunities has been well documented in a recent report by the United Nations Development Programme that mentions the need for livelihoods and employment support increasing by 17 percentage points in 2025 relative to the previous year as the withdrawal of aid meets severe drought and a growing influx of returnees.
Source: Afghan Analysts Network