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As Afghans starve, many say U.S. policy is making the country's economic crisis worse

Afghanistan’s economy is in a dangerous downward spiral — pushing millions closer and closer to starvation. According to the United Nations World Food Program, more than half of the country’s population is facing crisis levels of hunger.

Many experts say the U.S. is making the economic crisis worse because shortly after the Taliban’s takeover, the Biden administration froze billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s reserve assets — effectively cutting off the country’s cash flow.

Shah Mehrabi, a professor of economics at Montgomery College in Maryland and board member of Afghanistan’s central bank, joins us with more.

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This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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