8am: A number of Kabul residents have expressed concern over the renewed rise in the number of beggars in the city. They say that despite the Taliban’s campaign to round up beggars, many women, children, and men in different parts of Kabul still ask passersby for money and food. According to these residents, women and children make up a significant share of those begging across the city. Kabul residents believe unemployment, economic hardship, and the restrictions imposed on women’s work are among the factors behind the spread of begging in the city. In their view, rounding up beggars from the streets, without addressing their livelihood problems and creating job opportunities, cannot be a lasting solution for reducing begging. Click here to read more (external link).