The Taliban government has launched a new plan to save people from starvation in Afghanistan. Under this scheme, labourers will be given wheat in exchange for work. The Taliban's chief spokesman said on Sunday that the plan would be launched in major cities and towns.
Under this scheme of food for work, 40 thousand men will be given work only in the capital Kabul. "This is an important step to fight unemployment," spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. He said that the workers will have to work hard.
Afghanistan is going through a very bad economic situation. There are problems like poverty, famine and hunger in the country. There is no power supply and the economy is failing. In such a situation, winters are coming which can be very difficult for the people.
The workers will not be given money in the grain scheme for the Taliban's work. Its purpose is to provide work to those people who currently have no work and are facing the danger of starvation in winter.
This scheme will run for two months. During this 11,600 tonnes of wheat will be distributed only in the capital Kabul. 55,000 tonnes of wheat will be distributed in Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Pol-e-Khomri districts. In Kabul, labourers will be given jobs such as digging canals and making moats for snow.
In Kabul on Sunday, Zabiullah Mujahid, Agriculture Minister Abdul Rehman and the city's mayor Hamdullah Nomani started the scheme by cutting a pink ribbon.
The Taliban captured Kabul on 15 August. Since then the economic condition of the country has remained fragile. On Saturday, Pakistan and Sweden warned that Afghanistan could collapse at any time.
Sweden's Development Minister Per Olsson Fridh said in Dubai: "The country is on the verge of collapse and this can happen faster than we imagined."
He said the economic predicament could provide an environment for terrorist organizations to flourish, although Fridh made it clear that his government would not help the country through the Taliban, but would help the country through social institutions.
Many countries have stopped aid to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country. However, during this time humanitarian aid has been increased.
But Pakistan wants talks with the Taliban government. Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that direct contact with the Taliban is the only way to prevent a humanitarian disaster. He also requested for the release of the country's billions of dollars confiscated abroad.
