Kabul residents have criticized the high cost of food in the capital’s markets, saying they cannot afford essential items. Poverty and unemployment remain significant challenges in Afghanistan, making life increasingly difficult for many citizens. The fluctuating prices of groceries have only added to these hardships.
Ziworuddin, a Kabul resident told , “People’s economic situation is dire, and they cannot afford food items, which have become very expensive recently. We urge the Islamic Emirate to control prices.”
Another resident, Jamshid, said, “The municipality should monitor the price lists it issues to ensure shopkeepers sell according to those rates.”
On the other hand, shopkeepers link the rise and fall of food prices to fluctuations in the value of the dollar against the Afghan currency. According to them, while the price of some items, such as flour, has decreased recently, the price of cooking oil has risen slightly.
Hashmatullah Naeemi, a shopkeeper, said: “The only thing that has become cheaper is flour, whose price has dropped slightly. However, cooking oil, which comes from Malaysia, Russia, and other countries, is tied to the dollar. When the dollar rises, so does its price. A can of oil has gone from 1,400 to 1,800 afghani.”
Abdul Hakim, another shopkeeper, said: “Price increases are often linked to the rising value of the dollar.”
This situation occurs annually as winter approaches, bringing challenges such as rising unemployment and the closure of transportation routes in various provinces. These factors lead to significant fluctuations in food prices across the country’s markets.
