Faryab residents complain of economic hardships, unemployment

 Residents in the Faryab province of Afghanistan complained about unemployment and economic hardships as they cannot afford basic living services due to the cash-strapped economy of the country.

The residents complained to the authorities of Balchragh district of northwestern Faryab province and asked them to address the problems of people, Pajhwok news agency reported.

According to local people, droughts affect farmers in the region, and monsoon floods damage houses every year.

They say that the activities that benefit Faryab province economically are agriculture, livestock, handicrafts and carpet weaving. Still, decades of war have washed out everything, as the youth of the country are under a grip of severe unemployment.

Moreover, the non-availability of electricity, schools and agriculture services are some other problems faced by people of the Balcharagh district on a daily basis and essential services are also unavailable, Pajhwok News agency reported.

Balcharagh District Chief Mohammad Shah Kazem acknowledged the problems faced by the people and said 80 per cent of the district locals were associated with agriculture and recent drought and disasters destroyed their crops badly.

More than 24.4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan--an increase from 18.4 million in 2021, said a report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

The report states that the Taliban takeover of the country and the resulting cut in international assistance has led to a worsening humanitarian crisis. 70 per cent of Afghans are unable to provide for their basic needs, SIGAR said in a report to the US Congress.

"Some 70 per cent of households reported being unable to cover basic food and non-food needs, reflecting the impact of the decline in household incomes," according to the study, citing US State Department figures.

The report cited people selling their kidneys as evidence of how dire the situation has become. Since the Taliban seized power in Kabul last year, the human rights situation has been exacerbated by a nationwide economic, financial and humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale.

The Islamic group imposed policies severely restricting basic rights--particularly those of women and girls. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Taliban dismissed all women from leadership posts in the civil service and prohibited girls in most provinces from attending secondary school.

Armed groups linked to the Afghan branch of the Islamic State have carried out bombings targeting ethnic Hazaras, Afghan Shias, Sufis, and others, killing and injuring hundreds.