More than half a million Afghans jobless after Taliban takeover: ILO

BANGKOK: More than a half million people in Afghanistan have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover in mid-August, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said in a report released on Wednesday.

The ILO said the crisis has paralysed the economy and slammed the labour market. The situation is especially devastating for women and for people working in farming, government posts, social services and construction, with many people losing their jobs or not receiving their wages, it added.

It said many companies are hard pressed to stay afloat, as thousands of Afghans flee the country each day. Between 700,000 and 900,000 jobs are likely to have been lost by June as work becomes more scarce, said the report by the ILO, the United Nations agency working to promote labour standards and decent work for all people.

The report said the economic fallout from the takeover has been vast, with cash shortages and limits on bank withdrawals leaving both companies and individuals struggling. The economy was already teetering after four decades of war, a severe drought and the pandemic, the report said, adding that after the Taliban seized power amid a chaotic withdrawal of the US and NATO troops, the international community froze Afghanistan’s assets abroad and halted all funding, unwilling to work with the Taliban government given its reputation for brutality during its previous rule 20 years ago.

“The situation in Afghanistan is critical and immediate support for stabilisation and recovery is required,” Ramin Behzad, senior coordinator of the ILO for Afghanistan, said in a statement. “While the priority is to meet immediate humanitarian needs, lasting and inclusive recovery will depend on the people and communities having access to decent employment, livelihoods and basic services,” he said.

Women held about one in five jobs in Afghanistan in 2020, but are now being prevented from working in some areas. Education for girls has also been limited, though the Taliban leaders have said they hope to be able to open all schools for girls across the country after late March.

The ILO’s report is the latest call for more international support for the Afghan people, as the UN warned 8.7 million Afghans are on the brink of starvation.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres urged the international community to fund a $5 billion humanitarian appeal, release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, and jump-start its banking system to avert the economic and social collapse.

The ILO report estimated that female employment dropped by 16 percent in July-September, compared with what it would have been, had there been no Taliban takeover. The decline for men was five percent, it said.