The number of cases of food theft from shops have increased in Kandahar in recent weeks, reports local sources to Zan Times. The soaring rates of poverty and hunger are causing desperate people to commit such thefts, merchants say.
Abdul Jabbar*, a food seller in the market in Kandahar city, tells Zan Times that recently raw materials such as flour and rice are increasingly being stolen. That’s a sharp contrast to what used to be the most popular stolen items: mobile phones or cash.
“The theft of food items is increasing day by day,” he explains. “The reason is poverty and hunger. People can’t even buy a bag of flour anymore.”
Sabour*, another food seller in Kandahar food market, confirms the increase in the number of food theft cases. “People have resorted to stealing food out of necessity and to satisfy their hunger and that of their families,” he says.
He adds that the Taliban arrested two teenagers from the Mirwais Mina district of the city on charges of stealing flour and oil earlier in November.
He said that the Taliban blackened the teens’ faces and then took them around the city, likely in an effort to show others what happens to thieves.
The surging number of food thefts comes as millions of people exhaust their savings due to high levels of unemployment after the economy collapsed when the Taliban regained power. More than 28 million people in Afghanistan need urgent aid, compared to 18 million two years ago, noted Joyce Msuya, UN assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, in a recent conference. According to World Food Programme statistics, nine out of ten cannot eat enough food in Afghanistan. This means that parents cannot provide sufficient and healthy food for their children. Moreover, according to the UN, 10 million children in Afghanistan need emergency assistance.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.
