Viral: TV Anchor Sells Food On Street In Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan

Afghanistan has faced a lot of economic and political turmoil since the Taliban took control of the country. A recent Twitter post by Kabir Haqmal, who earlier worked with the Hamid Karzai government, shows how many talented professionals in the nation have been pushed into poverty.

Mr Haqmal shared the photo of Musa Mohammadi, an Afghan journalist. In the caption, Mr Haqmal said that Mr Mohammadi was part of the media sector for years, however, amid such a dire economic situation in Afghanistan, he has now been selling food to make ends meet.

“Musa Mohammadi worked for years as an anchor & reporter in different TV channels, and now has no income to feed his family. & sells street food to earn some money. #Afghans suffer unprecedented poverty after the fall of the republic,” he said.

Mr Mohammadi’s story is going viral on the internet. It even caught the attention of Ahmadullah Wasiq, the Director-General of National Radio and Television. In his tweet, Mr Wasiq mentioned that he will appoint the former TV anchor and reporter to his department.

When translated, his social media post read, “Unemployment of Musa Mohammadi, a spokesman for a private television station, rises on social media. As a matter of fact, as the director of the National Radio and Television, I assure him that we will appoint him within the framework of the National Radio and Television. We need all Afghan professionals.”

Meanwhile, ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the country has been experiencing a humanitarian and economic crisis. They have also cracked down on media outlets, with several journalists, especially women losing their jobs in the last few months.