KABUL (SW) – On the eve of Eid al-Adha, a number of residents of the capital say that due to economic problems, they have lost the ability to prepare for Eid, especially to buy dry fruits.
Ahmad Shoaib, a resident of the Chahar Qala Wazirabad in Kabul city, who is a roadside peddler, said that he could not prepare to celebrate Eid due to lack of income. He added: “I myself have neither bought new clothes nor bought fruit because I don’t have money to prepare. If I could afford it, there is no doubt that we would have prepared for the days of Eid like in the past, but now the situation has changed.”
Saboor, a resident of Qala Fathullah in Kabul, said that his economic situation has worsened compared to the last Eid and he has not been able to buy dry fruits for the upcoming Eid. He added: “We have no preparation because all my sons became unemployed. I can’t even do my job. When there is work, one understands and prepares for Eid.”
In addition, the high price of dry fruits has caused most of the residents of Kabul to not be able to prepare for Eid al-Adha.
Rabia, a resident of Karta Nau in Kabul, who came to one of the fruit shops to buy dried fruit, said that she bought less because of the high price of dried fruit. She added: “Yesterday, I came and made a price; But I could not buy it. I came today to get something cheap; While last Eid, I bought several kilograms of each dry fruit; But this Eid, I think I can’t buy more than one kilogram because of its high price.”
Zarmina, another resident of Kabul, also said that she bought dry fruits only to make her children happy and to celebrate Eid.
Meanwhile, a number of dried fruit sellers, complaining about the fading of the sales market, said that the number of their customers has decreased compared to the last Eid.
Nasir Ahmad, a dried fruit seller in Musa Qala in Kabul city, said that the amount of dried fruit sales has decreased by more than 50% compared to the last Eid.
He added that before, people used to buy first grade dried fruit, but now most of them buy second grade dried fruit. “People’s acceptance of buying dried fruit has decreased compared to the past because the people’s domestic economy has weakened.”
Residents of Kabul have been complaining about the inability to provide Eid expenses as unemployment and poverty have increased in the country for almost two years, and the need of citizens for international aid has increased.
ENDS
