With the central bank in limbo and banks short of cash, the question is: Does Afghanistan have money? The current situation has affected nearly every aspect of Afghan life, from the lives of farmers and teachers to those suffering from severe malnutrition. Moreover, with no access to capital, importers and exporters have no way to pay their bills. As a result, the value of the Afghani has dropped dramatically. While the question may seem abstract, it is crucial to Afghans’ economic future.

The recent surge in Taliban activity led to the capture of nearly half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, and it was driven by extensive fundraising, which provided the insurgent group with access to millions, if not billions, of dollars. Despite this huge amount, intelligence agencies have been unable to accurately estimate the amount. Still, there are indications that the revival is paying off. The Taliban raise between $300 million and $1.6 billion annually.

Despite these concerns, the Afghan central bank has an impressive amount of cash on hand. According to its financial statement, the country has $10 billion in international reserves, including $1.3 billion in gold. It has also collected $362 million in foreign currency cash. The IMF last week estimated that the country would require more than $15 billion in international reserves to meet its import obligations. This is more than twice what many nations have in their foreign currency reserves. The question is whether the Taliban will have access to the $10 billion.

What is the most common religion in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is an Islamic emirate in which most citizens follow Islam. As much as 90% of the population follows Sunni Islam. According to The World Factbook, Sunni Muslims constitute between 84.7 – 89.7% of the population, and Shia Muslims between 10 – 15%. 0.3% follow other minority religions.

Do Afghans marry for love?

I was born and raised in Afghanistan. My parents, siblings, cousins, and everyone else I knew had arranged marriages. In Afghanistan, marriage rarely involves the notion of “love.”  Rather, it is a matter of duty and responsibility. In most cases, the boy’s parents are the ones who make the proposal to the girl’s parents. The girl is typically not asked her opinion and dares not speak her mind because refusing to marry the man her parents select for her would bring shame and dishonor to the family.  For the girl, this often sets up a lifelong struggle to honor and obey the customs of her country and family at the expense of her own happiness (although it must be said, some arranged marriages are very successful). Even in more modern Afghan families that allow their children to have a love marriage, the families must make the arrangements.

Is love marriage allowed in Afghanistan?

We were talking about boyfriends and girlfriends and how in Afghanistan, this is not allowed.