KABUL (SW) – Every year, as Eid approaches, Kabul residents head to the city to prepare for hosting their guests during the Eid days.
However, this this year, some Kabul residents say that due to poverty and unemployment, they cannot afford to arrange traditional Eid items like dried fruits and sweets for their Eid tables.
Sayed Aqa, a Kabul resident, says, “Although the cost of necessary Eid items is minimal, the economic situation of the people is dire, and they cannot prepare for Eid.”
Similarly, Samir, another Kabul resident, adds, “People’s enthusiasm compared to before has decreased, and the economy is weak. People simply cannot afford to buy dried fruits for Eid.”
Meanwhile, some shopkeepers in the Mandawi area of Kabul, referring to the decrease in the price of dried fruits needed for Eid, complain of poor sales this year.
Ajab Khan, a shopkeeper in Mandawi, says, “Last year, we had a good market, but with this cheapness, we do not have good sales.”
Furthermore, Farid Ahmad, another shopkeeper in Mandawi, Kabul, adds, “Shopkeepers buy things at a high price and sell at a high price, and there is price gouging in the market.”
Currently, almonds from the USA are sold at 400 Afghanis per kilogram, pistachios at 650 Afghanis per kilogram, walnuts at 500 Afghanis per kilogram, raisins at 300 Afghanis per kilogram, and dried noodle packs at 150 Afghanis per kilogram in Kabul city markets.
