Afghanistan: Survival struggles five years after Taliban takeover

Five years after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, many Afghans face extreme poverty and scarcity of work. In the hills above Kabul, individuals like Sima attempt to support extended families by scavenging in cemeteries for plastic, scrap, and recyclable waste to sell or use as fuel.

Survival often relies on small, high-risk economies, such as collecting and reselling bread or preserving food scraps. However, the Taliban has prohibited begging and the collection of waste, leading to the risk of detention for those caught. For women, these survival tactics involve navigating increasingly restricted public lives and severe economic hardship.