Residents of Afghanistan’s southeastern Paktika province say prices of fuel, particularly firewood, have risen sharply with the onset of winter, worsening economic hardship in the impoverished region.
Residents said the price of seven kilograms of firewood has increased by around 90 Afghanis (about $1.35), with a kharwar (roughly 560 kilograms) now selling for about 12,000 Afghanis (around $181).
“The problems are very serious,” said Hamidullah, a resident of Paktika. “Previously, firewood sold for 60 to 65 Afghanis per seven kilograms. Now it is around 150 Afghanis, and a kharwar costs 12,000.”
Local traders and residents said fuel shortages have coincided with rising prices, though the reasons for the decline in supply remain unclear.
“Fuel is essential for people’s lives,” said Samiullah, a firewood seller. “The authorities should find a solution and provide alternatives such as gas or coal. Paktika is an underdeveloped province, and people cannot cope.”
Another vendor, Abdullah, said supplies had dried up despite earlier purchases. “I bought firewood seven or eight months ago, but now the supply has stopped. People come every day, but there is no wood to sell,” he said.
The rise in fuel prices is not limited to Paktika. Similar increases have been reported in other parts of Afghanistan, including Kabul, as households struggle with high unemployment, widespread poverty and limited access to affordable energy.
Afghanistan’s economy has remained fragile since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the United Nations estimating that at least 22 million people will need aid in the current year. Aid agencies have warned that rising winter costs could further deepen humanitarian needs across the country.
