About six weeks have passed but Pakistani borders points are still blocked for NATO supplies to travel inside Afghanistan. Pakistan closed its border after its 26 border troops got killed in NATO airstrike. NATO depends on these border points for fulfilling 40 percent of its supply and logistics needs. But it is not only NATO that depends on Pakistani border. A significant portion of Afghan imports comes from this border.
Though the blockade of Pakistani border was aimed for NATO supplies, reportedly the trucks and other vehicles carrying various kinds of goods including basic necessities are also not allowed to enter Afghanistan. This has caused the prices of various Pakistani products including live saving drugs that constitute around 60-70 percent of medicine in Afghan market to soar up significantly. Prices of foods and fuels have also gone high.
This is no less than disaster for country where 60 percent of population lives below or slightly above the line of poverty. It is winter in Afghanistan and winters here are extremely cold as raining and snowing continue throughout the season. Already the people of Afghanistan are facing numerous problems due to hard winter. The growing prices are adding fuel to the fire.
The blockage of Pakistan border and soaring of prices in Afghanistan indicates the vulnerability of lives of Afghans. Afghanistan does not reserve adequate amounts of food and energy to address needs during emergency situations. Therefore, slight changes in political or economic condition produces a sizeable negative impact on the situation in Afghanistan.
The sooner the border problem gets resolved, the better it will be for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thousands of Afghan and Pakistani traders and people working on both sides of Afgh-Pak border are suffering losses. And, of course, this harms the economy of both the countries. If the condition remains 'as is,' prices of medicines, fuel and other food and non-food products would reach new heights in Afghanistan. The NATO and Afghan government need to work towards resolving the issue with Pakistani authorities as soon as possible.