Kabul: Old blacksmith struggles as economy crumbles

One of Kabul's old blacksmiths struggles with his business as Afghanistan's economy crumbles.

Kabul: Haji Khalil has been a blacksmith in Kabul for more than 40 years, inheriting the business from his father. Throughout those years he has witnessed Afghanistan's turbulent history, from the Russian invasion in the late '70s and '80s, the American invasion in the early 2000's to the recent Taliban takeover.

His business is struggling as Afghanistan's economy is crumbling since the Taliban took over in August this year.

The international community froze billions of dollars worth of Afghanistan's assets abroad and stopped all international funding after the Taliban took power in mid-August amid a chaotic U.S. and NATO troop withdrawal.

The consequences have been dire for a country heavily dependent on foreign aid.

Khalil's keeps forging axes, shovels and sledgehammers, but he hardly sells them at this point.

The only time his business struggled this much was during the last Taliban rule in the nineties, he says.

According to the United Nations' World Food Program, 22.8 million of Afghanistan's 38 million people already face acute food insecurity and malnutrition in the country is increasing.

The value of Afghanistan's currency is tumbling, exacerbating the severe economic crisis and deepening poverty in a country where more than half the population already doesn't have enough to eat.

AP