Yahya Rasa, a proud Afghan citizen, returned to Kabul in January 2021. After completing his master’s in business management in Malaysia, Yahya Rasa was greeted with a boisterous celebration. The 25-year old says, “Being the first person in our family to obtain a master’s from overseas, I was a role-model to my siblings and my friends.”
Rasa is struggling to support his wife and himself after nearly a year and a half and the August 2021 Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
Every time he eats at his family’s traditional Persian dining rug (or dastarkhaan), he is reminded of this. Rasa states that once there was a wide variety of Afghan dishes, such as qabli pulao (a dish of meat and rice with raisins, carrots and other dry fruits); mantus, a recipe for Afghan dumplings stuffed full of meat and vegetables; and aashak (a meal made with fresh seasonal fruits); but today, “most of our meals are very basic like kidney beans, potatoes, or lentils.”
“There were also times when we had only bread and tea. It’s almost as if the dastarkhaan is never full.
According to an International Rescue Committee May report, Rasa is just one of the nearly 20 million Afghans who struggle to feed themselves. According to Lutfi Rahimi (an economics professor at American University of Afghanistan), Afghanistan’s economy crashed following the 2021 takeover. This exacerbated steep increases in poverty already caused by COVID-19 droughts. Last month, hundreds died in earthquakes that added to the country’s suffering.
Rahimi states that the crisis is also impacting Afghans of the middle class, who have been forced into the lower classes by the loss of their jobs. NPR spoke with several of these ex-professionals who said they have no income and are able to survive on humanitarian aid, charity, or selling their possessions such as furniture. Rahimi states that poverty did not occur overnight but that the collapse only made it worse.
The Afghan home is a central component
Mina Sharif is a Afghan media consultant and producer of radio and television programming. She also produced two seasons of Afghan “Sesame Street”. Sharif is now based in Canada and volunteers for Aseel, which provides food and other assistance to Afghans in crisis. Sharif explains that a dastarkhaan is a place where Afghan families can connect with one another, their community, and the guests of their country.
The dastarkhaan is a family dining room that serves meals, fruits, and desserts daily. It is a common feature in Central Asia and the Middle East. Special dastarkhaan preparations can be found during Islamic holidays and feast days, Persian new years, or when hosting guests. The dastarkhaan, which Afghans consider a sign of hospitality and respect for guests, is vibrant and filled with food. It is similar to U.S. Thanksgiving spreads. Sharif says, “If you have been invited to an Afghan family and sat with them on the dastarkhaan for a meal, you are considered a member of their family.”
Living with less
Many people, like Rasa, who used to be able to afford a decent dastarkhaan or a satisfying meal, are now unable to do this.
Rahimi says that the previous Afghan government was a major economic contributor and employer. “The Afghan military and security apparatus employed more than half a million Afghans.” He said that all these jobs disappeared overnight and that people lost their income.
A female journalist asked to be identified by her initials F.S. To protect her from Taliban persecution, she said that her brother, a former civil servant was frequently threatened by the Taliban and fled. Her brother paid for her schooling once and she supported her family, which included her siblings and parents. The Taliban took control over her province and most of the women journalists were fired. Her school for girls was also closed. F.S. said, “Before August 2021 we were a two income household and could afford small luxury items” such as new clothes and celebratory dinners. She spoke of her family’s former glory days with the dastarkhaans. Contrary to this, the family only had beans and a small amount of meat from a neighbor for Eid in May. F.S. says, “Today I can’t even calm my younger siblings when their cry for food.” says. “It is difficult for children to grasp what poverty is.”
Mohammad Modares’s construction firm in Daikundi was unable to complete projects because of the Taliban taking control. Banks stopped working and people couldn’t afford to build. His business was without any income, and he laid off all his employees. His village has a small farm that barely feeds his family, his siblings and his daughter.
“Our dastarkhaan has seen a significant change in the past year. We eat potatoes and beans rather than meat. He says that we don’t eat fruits. He adds that the family can’t even afford clean drinking water.
Modares used make $250 per month, which is a good income for middle-class Afghans. Four months ago, Modares moved alone to Kabul. He stayed with friends and sought a job to pay off his debts. He applied for more than 50 jobs, but has not received any response. Rahimi claims that hundreds, if not thousands of people apply to every job opening.
Modares is currently living off his last savings and survives on one meal per day, usually potato fries or bread with tea. Modares says, “I must pay my own expenses in the city and send money to mine wife and daughter.” “I try to eat less expensive food.”
Rasa, a recent master’s degree holder, also feels the stress of the crisis on his mental health. He admits that sometimes it is so difficult that he thinks life isn’t worth living, and he contemplates suicide. He laments that he has applied for many jobs, but despite having a foreign degree and high grades, he couldn’t get even a small job. “What good is education if I can’t even provide for my family?” He keeps looking for work, buoyed with the hope of experiencing a dastarkhaan full of delights.
GETTING HELP
Suicide is possible if someone you know shows warning signs.
Don’t leave the person behind
Take out any firearms, drugs, alcohol, or sharp objects that might be used in a suicide attempt
Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. (En EspaA+: 1-888-628-9544, Deaf and Hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889). Or, text HOME to 741741 to the Crisis Text Line.
Zuhal Ahad, a journalist from Afghanistan, covers stories about conflict and development in Afghanistan. She focuses on stories that concern women and those living in marginalized communities.
Ruchi Kumar is an Indian journalist covering conflict, politics and culture in India, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world. You can follow her tweets @RuchiKumar
