KABUL, Afghanistan — More than two months into the country’s fiscal year, many public employees — particularly public school teachers — say they have yet to receive their salaries, deepening economic hardship as the Eid al-Fitr holiday approaches.
Teachers in several provinces say they rely entirely on their monthly wages, and that the prolonged delay has left them unable to meet basic needs, including food during the holy month of Ramadan.
“I can’t cover anything,” said one teacher in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There’s the rent, electricity — and now two months without pay.”
According to several teachers, the average monthly salary is around 8,000 Afghanis (about $110), an amount that, even when paid regularly, barely covers basic living expenses. Many say they are unable to buy nutritious food for their children, let alone save or afford medical care.
“Our small salary barely covers dry bread,” said another teacher. “Now that they haven’t paid us for two months, our children are practically going hungry.”
The delays come amid a deepening humanitarian crisis. According to UNICEF, the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition in Afghanistan has tripled, with more than 3.5 million now affected.
In early February, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid promised via social media that all government employees would be paid by the end of that month. “The Ministry of Finance assures that the salaries of all 1.04 million civil and military employees will be paid during the month of Dalw [January–February],” he wrote. “No one should worry.”
That pledge has yet to be fulfilled.
Taliban figures put the number of public employees at just over one million. Yet despite budget shortfalls, a source in the Ministry of Finance told Amu that Taliban leadership has ordered the allocation of funds to organize a loya jirga, or grand assembly, in Kabul — a move that has drawn criticism amid widespread economic instability.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that more than 23 million people in Afghanistan will need urgent humanitarian assistance this year.
