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Without work and food, hundreds flee to Pakistan and Iran daily
A main bus terminal in Kabul is nowadays crowded as many residents of the city try to find their way out of Afghanistan into some neighboring countries.
Bus drivers at the Paitakht Bus Terminal said many families were trying to leave Kabul each day, but many could not afford the bus fare to destinations near the border cities.
“There are many families traveling (out of here) these says days. Most of them travel from here to Mazar-i-Sharif, and then many of them cross the border to Iran from Mazar-i-Sharif,” said bus driver Sahil.
Underlining the economic pressures building on Afghanistan’s new Islamic Emirate government, prices for staples like flour, fuel and rice have risen and long queues are still forming outside banks as they strictly ration withdrawals.
Some humanitarian aid has started to arrive and limited trade has returned across land borders with Pakistan, but a severe cash shortage is crippling day-to-day economic activity and decades of war have left much infrastructure in tatters.
Foreign aid payments, which accounted for 40% of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product, have all but stopped as the West considers how to deal with the IEA that, until August, led an insurgency against the U.S.-backed government.
Abdullah, one Kabul resident hoping to leave, said: “We will leave for Pakistan or Iran because we don’t have work here. We work the whole day for a single bite of bread. What else can we do? We have brought these items at home and have brought them here to sell, since there is no money and no work.”
This comes amid a continuing economic crisis including a severe cash shortage in the heavily dollarized country.
With dollar shipments to Afghanistan having been stopped and with sanctions against the IEA in place, thousands of government employees have not been paid and work has dried up especially as banks have a strict weekly withdrawal limit.
Members of a Russia-led security bloc that includes some countries adjacent or close to Afghanistan meanwhile have no plans to host Afghan refugees, bloc member Kazakhstan said last week.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) includes three Central Asian nations – Tajikistan, which has a lengthy border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – as well as several more remote former Soviet republics.
At a heads-of-state meeting of the bloc in Tajikistan on Thursday, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “supported the joint CSTO position that the placement of Afghan refugees or foreign military bases on our countries’ territories is unacceptable”, his office said in a statement.
Two more Central Asian nations, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, border Afghanistan but are not CSTO members. However, Uzbekistan has also said it would only allow short-term transit of refugees by planes to third countries.
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China’s special envoy for Afghanistan visits Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Yue held consultations in Türkiye with Cihad Erginay, Director General for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, discussing issues of mutual interest.
China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Yue Xiaoyong visited Türkiye, Pakistan and Afghanistan from July 30 to August 8, 2026, as Beijing continues diplomatic engagement on regional issues.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Yue held consultations in Türkiye with Cihad Erginay, Director General for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, discussing issues of mutual interest.
During his visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Yue also held talks with officials from both countries on ways to improve and develop relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
China did not provide further details about the discussions.
The visit comes as relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain strained by ongoing security and political tensions, with both sides facing challenges in their bilateral ties.
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Afghanistan received more than $11 billion in humanitarian aid over the past five years
Afghanistan has received more than $11 billion in humanitarian assistance since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in August 2021, according to United Nations figures cited by the BBC.
Despite the substantial aid, the gap between humanitarian needs and available funding remains wide, with the United Nations warning that millions of Afghans continue to require assistance.
The decline in international funding, a growing number of people in need and the return of millions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries have added pressure to the country’s humanitarian situation.
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis deepened following the collapse of the previous government in August 2021. The depreciation of the national currency, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and reductions in some international support programs further strained the economy and living conditions.
UN data shows that Afghanistan received about $5.2 billion in humanitarian assistance in 2021, followed by around $3.8 billion in 2022 and nearly $2 billion in 2023.
For 2024 and 2025, the United Nations appealed for more than $3 billion to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. However, funding fell short of the amounts requested.
The assistance has largely been directed toward food, healthcare, support for returnees and other urgent humanitarian needs.
The United Nations continues to classify Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, stressing that sustained international support remains essential for millions of Afghans who continue to need assistance.
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Afghanistan expresses condolences over deadly Indonesia earthquake
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has expressed deep sorrow over a powerful earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, killing at least 53 people and forcing around 5,000 others to evacuate.
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island and surrounding areas on Saturday, blocking roads and triggering landslides, Indonesian authorities said.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Indonesia over the casualties caused by the earthquake.
It also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.
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