Husna, a 25-year-old from Laghman, says she uses the internet mainly for work and teaching, “Most of my internet use is related to work and teaching. Since most of my tasks are done online, my internet consumption is high, and sometimes my family complains about my usage.”
This research was conducted to assess access to health services situation in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan. The results, based on a survey of 1,136 citizens across 32 provinces, indicate significant differences between urban and rural areas in terms of access, quality of services, and availability of medicines. Findings suggest that rural residents face greater challenges in obtaining quality health services.
Shayesta, a 38-year-old mother of four children, says she cannot afford online classes for her daughter who has been deprived of education, “As much as we could afford, we enrolled her in online courses—once in a home-based school and in a religious school —but now our economic situation is weak, and we can no longer afford even these online classes. For now, she reviews her lessons at home.”
Reza Jafari, a 35-year-old from Daikundi who has been working as a volunteer in greening activities for the past year, says, “The main reason we turned to volunteer work was that everywhere we look in our country, unfortunately, the hills have been stripped of forests, and plants have disappeared due to people’s excessive use and population growth. A lack of public awareness has led people to overexploit mountain forests.”
This survey, conducted with the participation of 1,045 women from 29 provinces of Afghanistan, provides a comprehensive and detailed picture of women’s purchasing power, savings capacity, sources of income, and their economic limitations. The findings indicate that women’s purchasing power—especially among unemployed women—has declined over the past three years, and the economic crisis has had profound impacts on households.
Young Afghan migrants in Pakistan say the current conditions have caused them serious psychological distress. Jamila, 26-year-old, who has lived with her family in Pakistan for three years, says: “I cannot even sleep because of the fear of deportation. Economic problems, unemployment—every kind of fear is inside me. We were warned to hide ourselves; otherwise nothing can be done for us. The situation for refugees is extremely difficult.”
Asma, a 33-year-old resident of Kabul, says that although she covers most of the household expenses, she still faces physical violence—violence that has caused both psychological and physical harm. She says, “I cover about 90% of the household expenses and all the needs of my daughters. Yet I have been repeatedly beaten by my husband—slapped, punched, and kicked. The violence was so severe that my last vertebra was damaged, and now I cannot sit or stand properly. My husband beats me and asks why I do not put money in his pocket. This is extremely humiliating and painful because, even with financial independence, I still face violence.”
“I have been teaching for three years; the factor that has made me depressed is that I am not working in my own field, and this situation has exhausted me mentally.” she says.
Chaman, a 35-year-old from Faryab, talks about the impact of this behavior on herself. She says, “These words have had a negative effect on my mental health. Hearing phrases like ‘A house without a son is not a house, it’s like a dark house’ makes us feel worthless and even fills us with anger.”
Rahmatullah, a 27-year-old from Kabul, says: “I have seen many educated and capable people doing hard labor because they could not find suitable jobs. There is widespread discrimination. Unqualified individuals are hired for positions they are not qualified for. I have personally experienced this favoritism.”
She added, “They did not allow my daughter to attend school. Even though my children are now grown, I have never had any real authority in their lives.”
Shahidullah Amin, 26-year-old and from Kunar, who has worked in goods transportation for three years, says, “The biggest challenges include customs delays, high costs, documentation issues, and sometimes a shortage of transportation vehicles. Yes, tax changes and incorrect paperwork slowdown our work.” He notes that in some cases, losses have occurred due to bad weather or transportation problems.
