Livelihood

Sustained monitoring will be essential to determine whether 2026 marks a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader recovery of Afghanistan’s opium economy.

The challenge is ensuring that the burden of short-term sacrifice does not fall disproportionately on the poorest fishers.

Bangladesh’s situation illustrates the double-edged nature of labour migration for lower-middle-income countries.

The decision to open the door to external payment of fines is a pragmatic acknowledgement that not every person currently incarcerated needs to remain there.

Cherevko’s message was clear: the window for preventing a deeper emergency is closing. “We must act before winter, not after families have exhausted their options.”

Approximately 800 million young people entering labour markets in developing economies over the coming years will not find jobs unless countries take decisive action

The Tier 3 ranking places Afghanistan among a small group of countries where governments or de facto authorities demonstrate a policy or pattern of trafficking or related exploitation, including the recruitment of child soldiers.

The evolution of this framework offers a significant case study in linking social protection with long-term rural transformation.