Hundreds of Afghan teachers call on Taliban to pay salaries: report

Kabul: Local media reported on Thursday that hundreds of teachers gathered in the western province of Herat and called on the Taliban to pay their salaries, as they have not been paid for more than four months.

As per a report by TOLO news, teachers demanded that the Islamic Emirate facilitate their payments, saying they were facing serious economic challenges.

According to the publication, some of the teachers voiced concerns that hunger was threatening their families as they are incapable of providing food and medical care for their children.

Latifah Alizai, a teacher said, "The teachers didn't have an adequate salary to save money for themselves for such days. They were just paid enough to meet their normal daily expenses."

"Many teachers don't even have money to pay their power bills and their houses lack power," said Nasir Ahmad Hakimi, a school teacher.

"My daughter has been sick now for a month and I can't take her to the doctor," said Saadat Atif, a teacher.

Based on initial findings, at least 18,000 teachers -- including 10,000 women -- have not received their salaries for the past four months, Tolo News reported.

"All teachers and civilian employees have not been paid for the past four months," said Mohammad Sabir Mashal, head of the teacher's association.

"They earn money for living via selling home appliances and now they don't have anything to sell," he said.

The head of the provincial education, Shuhabuddin Saqib, said that one month's salary would be paid to the teachers in the coming days, Tolo News reported.

The officials said that dozens of teachers have recently left the country because of various challenges.

Last week, hundreds of doctors from Samangan and Nuristan provinces gathered at the gate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in Kabul and asked the World Bank to pay their pending salaries for the past 14 months.

The protestors complained that not only their salaries haven't been paid but the clinics in their respective provinces are confronting a dire shortage of medicine.

Since the Taliban's takeover of the country, banks have been closed leaving millions of people out of cash. Employers have not paid their staff and even those who have money in their accounts cannot withdraw it.

Afghanistan's situation is deteriorating as the Taliban took control of the country on August 15 after the fall of the government.