Retirees in Afghanistan under Taliban rule are enduring severe economic hardship, with most facing extreme poverty and hunger. The economic crises, lack of financial resources, and the Taliban’s policies have severely impacted retirees’ lives. The Taliban have abolished retirement benefits, declaring that pensions are not the same as salaries. Those retirees, who dedicated their lives to improving conditions under various political systems, now grapple with hunger and the threat of death. Old age, illness, and long-term unemployment have even pushed some to beg. Over the past three years, numerous videos and audio recordings shared on social media have highlighted their plight and despair.
Historically, one major challenge was the government’s failure to provide adequate funding for pensions. Retirement benefits rarely adjusted for inflation, reducing purchasing power and lowering retirees’ quality of life. Administrative issues and corruption further complicated the pension payment process. Many retirees in remote and rural areas had limited access to healthcare, and economic difficulties prevented them from meeting their basic needs. Social and cultural attitudes toward retirement and related challenges have diminished societal support, while poverty and unemployment have exacerbated their struggles.
Taliban’s Excuses Over the Past Three Years
In the past three years, the Taliban have repeatedly promised to pay retirees’ pensions but have taken various positions regarding retirees.
When the Taliban’s budget for 2023 (Solar Hijri year 1402) was approved, the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance claimed to have allocated 4 billion Afghanis for retirees’ pensions and raised retirees’ demands with Hibatullah Akhundzada in Kandahar. Simultaneously, the Taliban cabinet, in a decision in March 2023, stated that retirement benefits do not count as salaries.
In the Taliban cabinet’s decision, it was stated: “Retirement and disability pensions are not considered salaries, but all Emirate agencies may employ those retirees who can work temporarily and formally employ disabled individuals.”
Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s hidden supreme leader, issued a decree instructing that, from March 20, 2024, monthly deductions from employees’ salaries for pension contributions should cease. This move has been interpreted by government employees as the dissolution of the retirement system in the country. In a letter sent by the Taliban’s hidden supreme leader to the Ministry of Finance, deductions for pension contributions from the monthly salaries of civil and military employees were canceled.
Protests and the Unheard Cries of Retirees
Mohammad Amin, a retiree, expressed his frustration with the ongoing poverty and unemployment. He said that during his career, governments deducted a certain amount from his salary for retirement benefits, and now they must return his money. He calls on the Taliban to pay retirees’ pensions, stating that it is their right. He says: “For God’s sake, give us our pensions. We served. Don’t give us charity or alms; give us our right.”
Mohammad Arif, another retiree in Kabul, served in the education sector for nearly three decades. He says that due to the non-payment of his retirement benefits, he is facing serious economic challenges. He adds: “I spent my entire life serving the children of this country. I worked honestly as a teacher and education employee in several provinces. Now that I am housebound, for the past three years, the Taliban have not paid me or hundreds like me our pensions, even though it is our right, and for years this money was deducted from our salaries.”
This retired man says he is ill, and in addition to being unable to provide for his family, he also cannot afford his medical treatment. He adds: “Our hope was on this money so that it would help us during hard times. But unfortunately, no one has paid us our rightful money, and my life is very difficult due to my illness.”
Many videos have also been shared on social media, showing retirees crying over their difficult living conditions. In one video, a retiree is seen crying in front of the camera, pleading for his pension. With a choked voice and tearful eyes, he says: “This is my condition as a retiree. You don’t give me my salary. I’m sick. Out of respect for my dignity, I can’t steal. What should I eat?”
Thousands of other retirees have participated in protests over the past three years, saying that the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country has put their lives at greater risk than anyone else’s. Many of them have been forced to sell goods on the streets, and some have resorted to begging.
Continuing their protests and demands, retirees gathered two days ago in front of the General Retirement Treasury office, calling for the payment of their pensions. They emphasize that after three years of protests, no Taliban official has yet been willing to respond.
Reactions from International Organizations
Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have consistently highlighted the violation of economic and social rights, including pension rights, by the Taliban. These organizations have reported that the failure to provide timely and adequate retirement benefits constitutes a violation of retirees’ economic and social rights. According to these organizations, the non-payment of pensions has had significant negative effects on retirees’ quality of life and their ability to meet basic needs.
Amnesty International has pointed out the economic challenges and their impact on retirees’ rights in its public reports.
Human Rights Watch has addressed the impact of economic crises on vulnerable groups, including retirees, examining the problems caused by the non-payment of pensions and the lack of resources.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has also examined the impact of humanitarian and economic crises on vulnerable groups, including retirees, as well as the financial difficulties and social dissatisfaction directed at them.
The United Nations has stated that pensions are a vital element of the right to social security for the elderly. According to the UN, denying retirees their pensions puts their human rights at risk, leaving elderly men and women vulnerable to hunger. Based on human rights documents, social and economic policies should address this imbalance by promoting equality between men and women instead of deepening the gaps.
It is worth noting that the exact number of retirees in Afghanistan is unclear, but in recent years, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Finance reported that around 152,000 individuals from 119 government agencies are entitled to retirement benefits. The ministry stated that more than 150,000 retired employees are registered with the ministry, of whom 10,586 are women.
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