By Daud Khattak and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi July 16, 2026 Momin Khan works long hours running a small shop in the Afghan capital, Kabul. He’s fortunate to have work, but like many of those around him who don’t have a job, he finds himself in the same position as them: relying on remittances from family
Ariana: Afghanistan’s General Statistics and Information Authority (GSIA) has estimated the country’s population at 37.2 million for the solar year 1405. The latest estimate shows that men account for 51 percent of the population, while women make up 49 percent. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Indian media reported that the US strikes damaged the port’s vessel traffic control tower early Thursday, dealing a setback to India’s long-term strategy of using Chabahar to access Afghanistan and Central Asia without relying on Pakistani territory. Since India invested in the port in 2016, Chabahar has become a strategic transit hub linking India
8am: Several residents of Badakhshan province are complaining about the sale of agricultural land to mining companies and the seizure of parts of this land by individuals and companies linked to the Taliban. They say that many people, driven by poverty and economic hardship, are forced to sell their farmland without considering the long-term consequences
8am: Several Kabul residents have expressed concern over the growing number of child laborers and street children in various parts of the city. They say that instead of attending school and engaging in childhood play, these children spend long hours on the streets doing work such as collecting plastic, selling water, shining shoes, cleaning car
Jerusalem Post: Pakistan has launched two new overland trade corridors through Iran and China, offering Central Asian countries alternative routes to Pakistani ports after Islamabad closed its main transit crossings with Afghanistan because of security concerns. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Sources in Balkh have expressed serious concern over widespread bribery and extortion at the Road Transport Regulation Directorate under Taliban control in the province. They say that certain individuals, in collusion with the Taliban, are placing heavy pressure on people who visit the directorate to complete their official paperwork. According to the sources, these
8am: A resident of Logar province who currently lives in Germany claims that local Taliban officials have seized his 30-jirib almond orchard in the provincial center. Ahmadzai says that after the orchard was seized, part of its walls was demolished, thousands of almond trees were cut down, and the land was divided among several local
Amu: Afghanistan’s economy is continuing to recover nearly five years after the Taliban returned to power, but the pace of growth remains too weak to improve living standards as rapid population growth and the return of millions of migrants continue to strain the country’s fragile economy, the World Bank said in a new report. The
8am: As the Taliban claim economic growth in Afghanistan, several Kabul residents say these claims are incompatible with the realities of people’s daily lives. According to them, the Taliban have dealt a severe blow to the country’s economy by imposing restrictions on women and excluding them from social activities, government institutions, and private and international