Afghanistan: Residents struggles due to price hike in Kabul
Nov 20, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], November 20 : Amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the number of Kabul residents and businessmen said the prices of some primary items, mainly food and fuel, have increased by almost 100 per cent compared to last year, local media reported on Saturday.
"Last year the price of oil was from 1,050 to 1,200 Afghani, but now it has reached 2,500 Afghani," Tolo News quoted Rahimullah, a shopkeeper as saying.
"A person whose income is 5,000 Afghani per month cannot buy more than two items; a bag of flour and a can of oil," said Samiullah, another shopkeeper.
"Prices have risen a lot, last year a bag of flour was 1,300 Afghani, but now it has risen to 2,300 Afghani. Oil's price was 1,200 Afs, but now it has reached to 2,200Afs," said Omid, a Kabul resident.
In the meantime, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said they will try to reduce the prices of food items in cooperation with the neighbouring countries, Tolo News reported.
"The arrival of the Taliban did not cause the prices to rise. Prices have risen in the whole world. Last year, one liter fuel was 40 Afs, but due to COVID-19, now it is almost doubled to 80Afs," the Afghani publication reported Nooruddin Azizi, the acting minister of industry and commerce as saying.
Based on figures given by some wholesellers in Kabul, the price of most of food items has doubled this year compared to last year. According to Tolo News, the price of flour has increased close to 100 per cent, the price of oil is over 110 per cent, the price of rice is close to 40 per cent, the price of sugar more than 35 per cent, and the price of peas is more than 30 per cent.
According to the UN, some 22.8 million people across the country are facing food insecurity and are unable to access affordable or nutritious food. Of the 38 million people living in Afghanistan, some 14 million children are food insecure.
