Former journalist works as labourer, making bricks to feed family post-Taliban takeover

Firoz Koh (Badghis) [Afghanistan], October 2 : Zabiullah Wafa, who once used to report for media outlets in western Ferz Koh city of Badghis province in Afghanistan, is now working as a labourer and making bricks to feed his 10-member family.
Wafa is among the thousands of Afghans who lost their job or source of income after the Taliban took over Afghanistan and the democratically elected government fell off.
He worked as a journalist in Badghis province for the last 10 years but was laid off and left unemployed due to the financial drawbacks of the local media, Khaama Press News Agency reported.
"After the Taliban takeover, local media outlets laid me off and it has been two months for me to be wandering without a job. To feed my family I decided to join my father in making constructional bricks," said Zabiulah Wafa as reported by Khaama Press News Agency.
Wafa said that hundreds of Afghan journalists were living in similar conditions and requested the international community to help them and stand by them.
Over 150 media outlets in Afghanistan have shut down their operations in the last month as they struggled to carry out their day-to-day functions after the Taliban takeover.
In addition to the economic crisis, the Taliban are restricting the right to information to the journalists, which has hampered the work of scribe organisations, Tolo News reported.
"Media are dependent on advertisements but there is no advertisement right now. They will face financial problems in absence of ads," a journalist informed.
Earlier, the Taliban-appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, Zabihullah Mujahid has said, "No restriction has been imposed on the free media in the country."