Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday that 90 percent of the country’s population live below the $2 poverty line.
The president made during a ceremony to launch Dastarkhan Milli, a $244 million aid distribution program.
The president also suggested that Afghanistan cannot always be dependent on international donation. He said that the country was rich in natural resources which should be used for development.
The new aid program is expected to reach four million households in Afghanistan in 34 provinces of the country, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said.
The first phase of the program costs $86 million and includes wheat flour, rice, beans, cooking oil and soaps, he said.
President Ghani warned that officials who embezzle such funds would be hanged upside down.
