Afghanistan’s Economy Is Collapsing as Cash Disappears
Cut off from central bank reserves and government aid, the nation of 38 million faces food shortages that could trigger a refugee exodus.
A makeshift open-air flea market offering food and basic items in Kabul on Sept. 23.
Photographer: Oriane Zerah/Abaca Press/AlamyJust weeks after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan, a cash crisis has crippled its already feeble economy.
The tight supply of money, as well as border restrictions and increasing international isolation, is leaving workers unpaid, forcing local companies to shut and banks to limit withdrawals. It also threatens to cut off Afghanistan from the outside world, as wireless carriers struggle to pay suppliers. More worryingly, the situation is worsening food shortages and driving the cost of essential goods higher, setting the stage for a wider economic and humanitarian crisis.