HUNDREDS OF DISPLACED FAMILIES ORDERED TO LEAVE KABUL BY THE TALIBAN

Hundreds of displaced families who were living in Kabul amid countrywide fighting that preceded the Taliban takeover in August, have now been ordered to return to their homes.

Taliban-led government’s Deputy Minister of refugees and repatriation said, “This process began today and will continue, thus all (displaced) families in Kabul will go back to their provinces,” TOLOnews reported. Over 2,000 families have been displaced and are living in Kabul, the Taliban said.

The evacuation of displaced families is being done in cooperation with the donor organisations. Mihruddin, who is a resident of Baghlan, is struggling to receive aid as he is specially-abled.

“I haven’t received any aid. The little aid that is provided, the able-bodied take it,” he said, TOLOnews reported. Abdul Baseer, who is a resident of Kunduz said, “We have a demand to immediately move the people, the people have become sick, it has been over a month that we are here.”

Hundreds of displaced families in Kabul are living in tents or in open areas and the situation is dire as winter is approaching. The World Food Program (WFP) said that the country is facing severe economic conditions and also warned of an economic crisis in the upcoming weeks.

Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP representative and country director for Afghanistan said, “The economy is on the brink of collapse here in Afghanistan. There is a cash crisis. Banks had closed their doors, but they are now opened. You can only take out 200 dollars. Savings are inaccessible for the people that have a little bit of money in the bank. The Afghan currency has decreased significantly,” TOLOnews reported,

Various donor organisations and countries have provided humanitarian support to Afghanistan in form of aid, but still, a large number of people remain out of the reach of this aid and remain in need of support.