LOC14:06
11:06 GMT
KABUL, May 9 (KUNA) -- Heavily struck by the ever-increasing insurgency and
lawlessness, Afghans are now faced by the sky-rocketing prices of food items
and fuel.
Being an impoverished and backward country where over 70 percent people are
depending on daily labour and earned an average of 150-200 afghanis, equal to
three and four dollars a day, the people are hard hit by the soaring prices of
food items.
The most urgent among the commodities which are slowly vanishing from
markets due to its shortage, are the flour, cooking oil and rice.
According to officials and residents, prices of wheat flour and rice have
increased by 50 percent over the past three months.
Despite being an agricultural country, Afghanistan depends on Pakistan and
its other neighbouring countries for most of its food requirements.
Earlier, flour was supplied from Pakistan. But wheat flour crisis in
Pakistan forced the government of that country to stop wheat and flour exports
to Afghanistan.
In January, a 100-kilogram sack of flour was available for some 3,000
afghanis. However, the price for the same quantity has now reached to 4,500.
In the same token, the price of one kilogram rice was ranging between 50
and 60 afghanis three months back. However, the commodity is now available in
the markets for over 100 afghanis per kilogram.
An average Afghan family is consisting of six to eight members and in most
of the cases, only one or two members of such families are bread earner while
the rest are either elderly people, children or women.
Being a conservative society, most of families in Afghanistan did not allow
their female members to go on work place and earn livelihood for the family.
In most of the cases, adult members of a family is working while the rest
depend on their earnings. (end)
gk.ema
KUNA 091406 May 08NNNN