Street vendors and day labourers in Herat say their incomes have fallen sharply this year, as economic hardship deepens and demand weakens in one of the country’s main commercial hubs.
Vendors at the city’s Kandahar Gate, also known as the Old Bazaar, said daily earnings have dropped to as little as 70 to 200 afghanis ($1–$3), barely enough to cover basic food costs for their families.
“In a full day, I earn no more than 70 or 80 afghanis,” said Mohammad Rahim, a street vendor who supports a family of seven. “My economic situation is very bad.”
Others working as porters and cart drivers said they often wait from morning until evening for work, but return home empty-handed on most days.
“Our lives are not going well,” said Azizullah, a labourer with eight family members. “This cart is all I have, and even then my daily income is only 100 to 200 afghanis.”
Another worker, Sirajuddin, said he sometimes relies on help from passersby to survive. “I look for a single piece of bread all day and still cannot find it,” he said.
Residents attributed the decline in incomes to several factors, including the arrival of large numbers of migrants deported from Iran, the closure or scaling back of foreign organisations, and cuts in international aid that once supported local markets.
Herat has been among the provinces hardest hit by the economic downturn since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with limited job opportunities and rising living costs putting pressure on low-income households.
