Several women in southern Zabul province say they are struggling to provide for their families amid rising food prices and a lack of work opportunities for women.
Among them is Torpekai, a widow and mother of four young children in the city of Safa. She suffers from a mental illness and, after losing her husband, has been unable to cover basic expenses for herself and her children.
Neighbors say the family relies on food shared by the community to survive.
“If local people bring her dinner, she eats. Otherwise, she has nothing,” said Abdul Qader, a relative of her late husband. “She also suffers from mental illness and cannot afford treatment. Her husband’s relatives check on her sometimes, but otherwise she has no one. Only God knows how lonely this woman is.”
Torpekai is not alone. Other widows and women without male support in Zabul face similar hardships.
“I live in poverty and misery,” said Shahida, another Zabul resident. “My husband is paralyzed and bedridden, and my eldest son is also paralyzed from the waist down. I cannot provide for my children alone.”
Nearly a year has passed since international aid was significantly reduced across Afghanistan, especially in the country’s southern provinces. Residents say the cutbacks have deepened their struggles, leaving families with less food on the table and limited access to medical care.
