At least 45 projects funded by the World Bank in the country have remained stalled over the past three years.

Many of these projects are infrastructure-related and are said to have had significant impacts on Afghanistan’s development.

The Health Project, which provides essential healthcare services in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, another program facilitating support for small financing resources in Afghanistan, the Citizens' Charter Project, the Employment Generation Project, the Afghanistan Urban Development Project, the Afghanistan Skills Development Project, the Higher Education Development Program, the construction of strategic grain reserves, and the project to strengthen Afghanistan’s trade systems within the framework of the World Trade Organization are among the projects that have been halted.

The Ministry of Economy of the Islamic Emirate has described these projects as vital for Afghanistan and has emphasized the need for the World Bank to restart their implementation.

“The World Bank previously financed multiple projects in sectors such as transport infrastructure, energy production, agriculture, health, and education. However, for more than three years, around 45 projects across various sectors have seen no physical progress and remain incomplete. Resuming these projects could create job opportunities and improve service delivery in both urban and rural areas,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy.

Economic experts, considering the significance of these projects, have urged the Islamic Emirate to allocate funds from the national budget to complete them.

 “If the World Bank remains committed to its economic pledges and assistance, it would be beneficial to attract this financial option. However, if the World Bank does not prioritize this issue, the Islamic Emirate government should allocate its internal resources and financial capacity to continue these incomplete projects.” Mir Shakir Yaqubi, an economic analyst, told TOLOnews.

“Regarding the projects that were financially supported by the World Bank and are now halted, it would be good if our country's officials worked on these projects to regain financial support,” said Ahmad Ferdaws Behguzin, another economic expert.

These projects remain stalled at a time when the World Bank has consistently warned about rising food insecurity in Afghanistan. Experts believe that if the World Bank’s halted projects in Afghanistan are resumed, they could play a significant role in alleviating international concerns about the country’s situation.