KABUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- "We borrow money during the winter, and when the work season starts, we gradually repay our debts to the shopkeepers," said Habib Jan, a 60-year-old kiln worker, in an interview with Xinhua ahead of International Labor Day.
Amid a fragile economy, war-ravaged Afghanistan continues to grapple with soaring unemployment.
Like thousands of other laborers across the country, Habib Jan toils daily under the scorching sun at kilns in northeastern Kabul, striving to earn enough to support his family of twelve. "I use my earnings to buy flour, oil, and medicine," he said, glancing down at his tattered shoes.
Habib Jan has worked in the kilns for five years but remains dissatisfied with his meager income, which falls short of meeting his family's basic needs. "Sometimes it's just enough, sometimes not. We have no choice but to endure, because no one is paying us properly," he said, his head and face covered in dust at the end of a long workday.
While unemployment plagues the entire country, truck driver Dil Agha believes the worsening job scarcity is deepening economic hardship for ordinary Afghans.
"I rely on driving to provide for my family, but I can't afford quality goods. I can't even increase our daily expenses," he said.
Dil Agha has been transporting bricks in Kabul for 18 years and is the sole breadwinner for his household. His story echoes that of many other laborers. "In winter, I borrow between 20,000 to 50,000 Afghanis (approximately 290 to 430 U.S. dollars) from the kiln owner, and I repay it after completing my work in spring," he added, noting his growing concern over diminishing job opportunities.
The collapse of key industries and a lack of economic infrastructure have left many Afghan workers struggling to make a living.
Mohammad Jan Nabizad, manager of a clothing factory in Kabul, said the factory once employed around 1,200 workers, but now, only 80 remain. He attributed the layoffs to a lack of economic contracts and demand.
Shafiq Ullah, a young textile worker in Kabul, shared that after finishing school, he was unable to pursue further education due to financial constraints. "We used to work here day and night. There were 17 of us, now only 10 remain," he said.
Afghan economist Shakir Yaqubi has raised alarms over the severity of unemployment and poverty, warning that the jobless rate has reached unprecedented levels.
Yaqubi emphasized that if conditions do not improve, Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis will become even more fragile and volatile, and the economy could sink to its worst state yet.
According to Samiullah Ibrahim, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Afghan interim government, there are currently no official statistics on unemployment, though a comprehensive survey is planned.
A World Bank report released in April revealed that one in four Afghan youth is unemployed, indicating that the jobless rate has doubled in recent years.■
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