The effects of years of war, ongoing instability, and natural disasters have placed Afghanistan in a precarious position. Poverty kills more people than direct fatalities resulting from conflict, over a third of Afghans live on less than $1.90 (£1.40) a day.

Experiences over the past decade have shown that improvements can be achieved through national efforts and international aid, but huge challenges remain. Afghanistan ranks third most likely to suffer from humanitarian disasters as the country remains incredibly vulnerable to disasters such as floods, droughts, and potentially devastating earthquakes.

With a struggling economy, the challenge faced by Afghanistan’s vast youth population is huge. More than two-thirds of children do not attend secondary school and 10% of children are subject to child labor.