KABUL (SW) – A number of Kabul residents have voiced their grievances over poverty and unemployment, calling on the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate to create job opportunities.
Abdul Rahim, a 77-year-old resident of Kabul who has been working as a shoe-shiner for 30 years, says that he earns less than 100 Afghanis daily. He appeals to the de-facto government to provide employment opportunities and aid to those in need.
“I earn 20 to 30 Afghanis a day, and on rare occasions, more than 50 Afghanis. We urge the government to assist people by creating job opportunities,” he said.
Mohammad Hussain, a graduate of Kabul Polytechnic University, who has been struggling with unemployment for two years, also says, “Our demand from the government is to provide job opportunities for young people.”
Another Kabul resident, Mohammad Amin, a daily wage laborer, shared his frustration over the lack of jobs. “If a job opportunity arises, it’s often taken by someone else. Jobs are not available to everyone; it’s a matter of chance. If one doesn’t get a job, they are left without means, and we are forced to survive only with half a bread,” Amin explained.
Meanwhile, officials from the de-facto Ministry of Economy attribute the growing poverty to economic and financial sanctions on banking systems, halted development projects, and the freezing of the country’s foreign assets.
Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesperson for the ministry, emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to alleviate poverty by creating job opportunities.
“The Islamic Emirate and the Ministry of Economy are focusing on job creation and employment. We have made efforts through various programs and policies to focus on implementing infrastructure and development projects to create job opportunities for people,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Economy, currently, 50% of the Afghan population lives below the poverty line. On Sunday, ten international aid organizations released a statement noting that since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, the Afghan people have been caught in a cycle of poverty, displacement, and despair, and are heavily dependent on humanitarian aid.
In response to the increasing need for humanitarian aid, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a £40 million emergency and flexible aid package from the UK for Afghanistan.
Ziauddin Safi, a spokesperson for WFP told Salam Watandar that this funding will support 150,000 children and 140,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from malnutrition, and provide direct humanitarian aid to 1.2 million additional people.
“The WFP will also select up to 77,000 food-insecure individuals for participation in community projects aimed at enhancing resilience against climate impacts,” he further mentioned.
