In the highlands of central Afghanistan, small business owners in Ghor Province say economic hardship has brought local commerce to near collapse, describing a level of downturn unseen in years.
Shopkeepers and laborers in the province cite widespread poverty and a sharp drop in consumer purchasing power as primary drivers of the economic slowdown. With few job opportunities and minimal income, residents say they are struggling to meet even the most basic needs.
“I run this mill, but there is barely any work,” said Izzatullah, a resident of Ghor who has operated a small grain mill for more than a decade. “Maybe two or three sacks of wheat come in a day. I grind them and make 200 to 300 afghanis, which all goes toward fuel. A liter of diesel costs 60 afghanis.”
The economic desperation extends beyond the milling business. In a small grocery shop elsewhere in the province, similar concerns are echoed.
“With this situation, our financial problems have only gotten worse,” said Ghulam Mohammad, another resident. “As a village representative, I’m trying to convince aid organizations to come help.”
For many in Ghor, migration has become a last resort. “If we didn’t have economic problems, we wouldn’t leave our country,” said Rahman, who had recently returned from abroad. “If the economy were better, we’d live here with our families. But we are forced to go elsewhere, even to countries at war.”
Sources in Ghor confirm the severity of the crisis. They acknowledged a serious shortage of job opportunities across Ghor, mirroring a broader trend felt throughout Afghanistan.
Local residents called on the international community and the United Nations to step in, saying that Afghanistan’s deepening economic crisis cannot be addressed without outside assistance.
