Several persons with disabilities in Kabul say they have not received their disability allowances since the second half of last year and are facing serious economic hardship. They add that despite repeated promises by the Taliban, no action has been taken to pay their allowances. According to them, persons with disabilities are concerned that they may face the same fate as retirees.
Several individuals with disabilities, in interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, criticized the reduction in their allowances and the removal of some from the list of eligible recipients. They emphasized that, in addition to the issue of unpaid allowances, the lack of job opportunities and the public’s distrust in their abilities are among their major concerns. These individuals stated that if suitable employment opportunities were created based on their physical capabilities, they could meet part of their economic needs.
Shamsia (pseudonym), who lost her leg due to a rocket strike during the civil war in Kabul, now criticizes the Taliban for their negligence in paying her allowance. She says she desperately needs her disability benefits to support her family of eight. According to her, the Taliban paid only half of the disability allowances last year, and despite repeated follow-ups, she has not received any payment since.
This person with a disability said: “The months of Hamal and Saur [March 20–May 20] have passed, and now several days of Jawza [May 21 onward] have passed too, but there is still no sign of our allowance. Last year, they were supposed to pay us 60,000 Afghanis; they only gave 30,000, and the rest remains unpaid. Our economic situation is dire. One of my sons used to work at the market, but in an accident, a car hit him. Now he sometimes earns 50 Afghanis, sometimes nothing.”
Mohammad Qudos, another individual with a disability, says that life has become extremely difficult, and the non-payment of his allowance has put him and his family in a serious predicament. According to him, people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable segments of society, yet little attention is paid to their problems.
Mr. Qudos added, “I have nine children, and all of them need food and clothing. The [Taliban regime] sometimes pays the allowance and sometimes doesn’t. Indeed, my legs don’t work, but my hands are functional. If work suitable to my abilities is provided, I can meet my family’s needs and avoid relying on others.”
Gul Pacha, who lost both legs and his eyesight due to a landmine explosion on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, has called on the international community and aid organizations not to forget persons with disabilities in Afghanistan. He said his life depends on his disability allowance, and without support, it would become even more difficult than it already is.
Gul Pacha stated: “If help doesn’t reach us [persons with disabilities], our lives will become extremely difficult. There’s no news of our payments; they just keep promising but never follow through. Living in these conditions is not easy.”
Fereshta, the wife of a person with a disability, is calling for the payment of her husband’s disability allowance. She says that if the Taliban fail to pay their salary, they will be forced to live on the streets.
She adds: “We are a family of eight. My husband is disabled, and my son is unemployed. We’re hoping this year his salary will be issued earlier. We live in a rented house and are in debt to the landlord. If we can’t pay, we’ll end up on the streets.”
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs has not commented on the delays in paying the allowances to persons with disabilities.
The Taliban have claimed that over the past three and a half years, they have registered more than 653,000 women heads of households, orphans, and persons with disabilities.
Earlier, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the group had allocated 12 billion Afghanis to the families of its suicide attackers. The Taliban-controlled national television broadcast this interview in three segments on its X page on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. According to Mujahid, this amount is equivalent to the budget of three ministries and is being spent through the Taliban’s Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs to support the children and wives of suicide bombers.
This is while thousands of survivors from former security forces’ families—and those injured in the war—live in dire conditions, suffering from discrimination and neglect by Taliban-controlled institutions.
On the other hand, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that around 9 million children will need emergency educational support in 2025, including 888,000 children with disabilities.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
عدم پرداخت معاش افراد دارای معلولیت؛ از همسرنوشتی با بازنشستهگان میترسند
