Afghanistan heading towards collapse faster than expected, Swedish minister warns

Farzana, 30, holds her one-year-old baby, Omar, at the malnutrition ward for infants of Indira Gandhi Children's hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

DUBAI (Reuters) - Afghanistan is heading towards economic collapse that risks spiralling the country into a new political crisis, Sweden's minister for international development cooperation warned on Saturday.

Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis following the collapse of the Western-backed government and Taliban take over in August, which was met with an abrupt end of billions of dollars in assistance to its aid-dependent economy.