Afghanistan: Government employees take to streets in Kabul over unpaid salaries

Kabul [Afghanistan], December 19 (ANI): As the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan, government employees took to the streets in Kabul demanding the immediate release of their unpaid salaries, local media reported.
Tens of employees of Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Hospital and the Ministry of Urban Development and Land (MUDL) stage two separate demonstrations in Kabul to criticize their long-awaited unpaid wage, Tolo News reported.
Doctors of Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Hospital have been complaining that they have not received their salaries for the past 11 months.
"I haven't been paid for the past six months. The payment of one and half months of the term of (President Ashraf) Ghani remain unpaid and the salary of another five months also remain unpaid," Tolo News quoted Sameer Ahmad, a doctor as saying.
"We pay money for the transportation (to come to work). The value of the Dollar increased, and the price of food materials surged. We are obliged to demand our salaries," said a female doctor.
The employees of the Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Hospital said that they have been scrambling with devastating economic situations.
"I pay my rent, my electricity bills. I am incapable of paying any of them anymore," said Amina, a medical staff.
The employees of MUDL in a separate protest called on the Islamic Emirate to introduce the new acting head for the ministry. The employees said that they haven't received their payments for the past seven months, Tolo News reported.
"I haven't been paid for the past seven months. I don't have money for house rent, electricity bills and internet," said Najibullah Dosti, an employee of the MUDL.
"Over 10,000 employees are in an uncertain destiny in capital and provinces across the country," said Khoshbakhtullah Ayoubi.
The employees said that they were even forced to sell their home appliances to make ends meet.
"I sold my home appliance, my refrigerator," said Sayed Ali Jan, an employee.
According to Afghan media, the Ministry of Finance has said that the process of overdue payment was underwork and that some of the government departments received their salaries.
"Many departments received their salaries. The process is continuing and the rest of the departments will be paid," Tolo News quoted Ahmad Wali Haqmal, a spokesman for the ministry.
The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.
A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged a country already suffering from high poverty levels into a full-blown economic crisis.
The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people. (ANI)