Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, nearly 2,000 factories across Afghanistan have shut down as factory owners struggle under the combined pressure of a collapsed banking system, decrease in purchasing power, and a drop in international investments. The dire economic situation is hitting business owners and their employees hard.
Farhad Safi had a flourishing saffron export business before the Taliban came to power in August 2021. His young company, which was started in 2019, could not survive the Taliban takeover.
