- Title: With banks closed, Kabul residents worry about how to make ends meet
- Date: 28th August 2021
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 28, 2021) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ON STREET PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE BANK (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) TRADER AND RESIDENT OF KABUL, SAFIULLAH NAZARI, SAYING: "We have not come here to get a salary, this is our personal capital and money (in the banks), we traded and worked hard, and there must be a way at least so that we can get our money; otherwise, we would think that our money will be lost and there won't be hope for any form of governance." SIGN READING (English/Dari) "AZIZI BANK" VARIOUS OF CLOSED BANKS (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) KABUL RESIDENT, SAFIULLAH NAZARI, SAYING: "We are grateful in some way for what we call good security has been provided, but everyone knows that consequences of financial problems are more dangerous than insecurity. If the situation continues and employees of the government don't get their salaries and a businessman cannot get his money from the bank for trading, the result of this is very horrible, and there will be poverty in the society as well, and no one can solve that issue." PEOPLE LINING UP OUTSIDE PASSPORT OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) KABUL RESIDENT, FAWAD, SAYING: "I just came back from the passport office, this office is closed, no one is allowed to enter, and (issuing of) our passports has been stopped. We do not want to flee Afghanistan, and we have other problems such as illness, but we cannot get our passports." MORE OF PEOPLE ON THE STREET VARIOUS OF CLOSED OFFICE OF PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (PIA) (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES EMPLOYEE, SHAMSUDDIN, SAYING: "No, but there are many requests and people come here and ask about tickets, but we cannot give them tickets because the airport is closed (for normal flights)." VARIOUS OF CLOSED TRAVEL AGENT OFFICES VARIOUS OF SHOPPING MALL WITH FEW CUSTOMERS
- Embargoed: 11th September 2021 11:58
- Keywords: PIA tiket office Taliban takeover banks closed inflation passport office
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001ES6ZT53
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With banks closed and almost no way to leave the country, Kabul residents on Saturday (August 28) said they were getting increasingly worried about how they would make ends meet in the coming days and weeks as the Taliban consolidate their grip over daily life.
Safiullah Nazari, who had come to withdraw money from a bank, complained they were not opened despite a promise by the Taliban earlier in the week to reopen banks. The departure of foreign troops, the Taliban insurgents' sudden take over and the chaos that it has ensued has sent the currency tumbling. A lack of dollars is also fuelling the financial crisis.
"If the situation continues and employees of the government don't get their salaries, and a businessman cannot get his money from the bank for trading, the result of this is very horrible, and there will be poverty," he said.
A long queue was seen outside the passport office although it has been closed since the Taliban takeover on August 15, as many were desperate to leave the country.
Airline offices and travel agents were shuttered.
Shamsuddin, an employee of the PIA office, said there were no crowds at their offices but they were still getting non-stop requests for tickets, although the airport was closed for commercial flights.
Elsewhere in the Afghan capital, Taliban roadblocks prevented people from accessing the airport following a massive suicide attack on Thursday (August 26) killed up to 170 and as the United States hurried to end their evacuation operations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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