The World Bank has stated that with the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, the unemployment rate has doubled. In their recent report, the bank notes that the level of unemployment among youth and women has risen significantly, causing concern. The citizens of the country also say that persistent unemployment and lack of job opportunities have made living conditions difficult for them. Women, except in a few sectors, have been largely excluded from work, and many of them are the sole breadwinners for their families. Educated men and youth, in the absence of employment opportunities, have faced widespread challenges, including mental and psychological problems. A significant number of people are attempting to leave the country, even though they are aware that thousands are being forcibly expelled from neighboring countries daily, resorting to migration through smuggling routes. “OCHA” also warns that Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and a serious risk of systematic collapse and human catastrophe, with 29.2 million people in dire need of UN food assistance.
Some citizens of the country express their concerns about the continuing unemployment, stating that the current situation is life-threatening for them. According to them, unemployment and poverty have put their lives in danger and on the brink of destruction. These citizens are complaining about the increase in unemployment, a concern echoed by the World Bank in its latest report, stating that with the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, the unemployment rate has doubled.
In its October 2023 report titled “AFGHANISTAN DEVELOPMENT UPDATE – Uncertainty After Fleeting Stability,” the World Bank has stated that the level of unemployment among youth and women has risen significantly. According to the report, among young men in the age group of 14 to 24, nearly one in three is unemployed, while youth female unemployment in the same age group is almost twice as high. The World Bank’s report indicates that poverty is at its highest in urban areas, and rural regions are facing severe challenges due to climate change and climate-related issues.
Besharat has completed her undergraduate studies. She is responsible for her four children, one of whom has “mental retardation.” Besharat mentions that before the Taliban’s takeover, she worked in a non-governmental organization and was able to make ends meet. She also points out that receiving aid from organizations is dependent on connections. This woman, burdened with unemployment and countless sorrows, states that she has repeatedly requested assistance from charitable organizations such as “CARE Afghanistan and Afghan Red Crescent Society” and other humanitarian agencies but hasn’t received a response due to the lack of intermediaries. She emphasizes that she has been entirely unemployed for over six months, and her living situation is extremely dire.
Jamshid (pseudonym) has completed his master’s degree. Before the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, he worked in one of the sections of the former House of Representatives secretariat. Jamshid says that the Taliban dissolved the parliament and relieved hundreds of people of their duties. According to him, in the past two years, there hasn’t been a government department or institution where he hasn’t sought employment, but he has received negative responses from all of them.
This former government employee states, “They dissolved the parliament and said they would hire you in other departments. They lied, they didn’t accept anyone based on merit and ability. All former employees are unemployed, and their lives are challenging and discouraging. No one can raise their voice out of fear of the Taliban. We are only free in name, but we have no real freedom. If anyone dares to criticize or demand their rights, you see what happens to them.”
Katayoon (pseudonym) says she has two vocational degrees and has previously worked as a private school teacher, a social worker at the WHO, and in various public health and municipality sectors. She adds, “After the Taliban banned women’s work rights, I worked as an apprentice in a sewing workshop, but unfortunately, the Taliban obstructed us. Later, I found work in a clinic that paid a meager income, but again the Taliban came, demanding money from us, saying we had no right to work without paying them. I was let go from there as well. I have been unemployed and confined at home for seven months. I have lost one of my eyes, and now I can’t do embroidery.”
This Kabul resident shares another heartbreaking story that has led to the sale of their life savings and belongings. She continues, “Our economic situation is very bad. There were rumors that the Taliban were actively collecting young people from the city and transferring them to unknown locations. We sent my brother to Iran, and on the way, he was abducted by the ISIS group. We borrowed from everyone and managed to rescue him. Now there are seven of us, all of us are unemployed, and we are in a very dire situation.”
This comes as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with a serious risk of systematic collapse and a human catastrophe. According to OCHA, this crisis, in addition to unimaginable human costs, has rolled back many of the achievements of the past 20 years, including women’s rights.
OCHA further adds that the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has led to a rapid economic collapse, an increase in hunger, a surge in malnutrition, a severe rise in urban and rural poverty, the breakdown of the public health system, media censorship, and the suppression of civil society, along with almost complete deprivation of women’s rights.
Citizens of the country are facing a dire economic situation and persistent unemployment, while the Pakistani government has intensified the process of forcibly expelling Afghan migrants from that country. Pakistan has issued a warning to all migrants lacking the necessary residence documents to leave the country up until November 1, 2023.
However, thousands of Afghan citizens who have been forcibly expelled from Pakistan and Iran say that unemployment, an uncertain future, and an unknown destiny have severely distressed them. They also state that the cold weather and unemployment will add to the humanitarian crisis in the country, and with the arrival of winter, a deep humanitarian disaster will occur.
Simultaneously, the United Nations has called on Pakistan to halt the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan. This comes as the United Nations has noted that the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has escalated, particularly after the deadly earthquake in Herat, and has urged donor countries to take further action in this regard.
