Poverty forces families on streets in Kabul, unemployment stirs up the process

Amid the rising political unrest in the country since the Taliban took control, absolute poverty and unemployment is being witness an all-time high as families in Kabul are forced to move to the streets.

Due to ever-increasing poverty in Afghanistan resulting in the surge in the number of beggars across the country, the Taliban Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund of the interim government, ordered a probe into the case as he called for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) office to investigate the growing numbers of beggars in the Afghan capital during a cabinet meeting.

The probe came into being as local residents expressed concern over growing poverty and unemployment, saying only a few roads could be seen without beggars these days.

In a statement to TOLOnews, a child said, "We have nothing at home. When I collect money from begging, I buy a piece of bread for my family. My sisters are starving".

"I have seven children. My mother-in-law and father-in-law are living with me. We have no breadwinner and my sister-in-law also lives with us. She is disabled," TOLOnews reported quoting Sadia, another victim of poverty.

The Taliban regime which took over Kabul in August last year has curtailed women's rights and freedoms, with women largely excluded from the workforce due to the economic crisis and restrictions. According to a survey, "nearly all Afghans (94 per cent) rate their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering" since the Taliban's takeover of the country with a population of around 40 million, reported Tolo News.

While a majority of women in the working class are the breadwinners of their households, the ongoing situation has forced desperate families to stretch their hands for help on Kabul streets - a growing concern that puts the future of Afghanistan uncertain.

Inamullah Samangani, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said, "The cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in its 31st session ordered various agencies to address the problem of poverty and unemployment, especially the increase in begging in Kabul.

"They were asked to present a comprehensive plan and implement it as soon as possible," said Inamullah Samangani," he added.

Meanwhile, analysts blame the sudden change and overall political crisis in Afghanistan since the takeover last August, saying the "Households' economic situation in the country is moving towards absolute poverty" said Shakir Yaghoubi, an analyst, according to the local media.

The rising crisis in Afghanistan has hit small enterprises the hardest and private companies have laid off more than half of their employees due to a shortage in sales and a drastic decline in the consumer demand for the products, according to the latest survey conducted by the World Bank.

According to the survey, small enterprises have been hit hardest with about 38 per cent of them seizing operations, compared to 25 per cent among medium and 35 per cent among large businesses in the country.

The findings also show Afghan domestic inputs have become more expensive and yet difficult to obtain due to supplier closure and supply chain disruptions, which all lead to price inflation since the beginning of political uncertainty.

As per a local survey, the rate of poverty in the country has exceeded 95 per cent since the fall of the former government while 56 per cent are seeking to leave the country amid a drop in daily income.

Moreover, millions of Afghans are on the brink of starvation as the country reels from a humanitarian crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )

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