Food prices in Afghanistan spiked during internet blackout

Food prices rose sharply in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s 48-hour nationwide internet shutdown, with residents and traders in Kabul and Helmand reporting sudden jumps in the cost of basic goods.

In Kabul, the price of a sack of flour climbed by about 100 afghanis ($1.50), while rice rose by 150 afghanis ($2.20) and cooking oil by 50 afghanis ($0.70). A liter of fuel reached 75 afghanis ($1.10), and a kilo of gas increased by 10 afghanis ($0.15). The U.S. dollar was trading at 70 to 71 afghanis ($1 = 67.6 afghanis), according to money changers.

Local sources in Helmand said the surge was even sharper there. A sack of flour that had sold for around 900 afghanis ($13.30) before the shutdown jumped to 1,600 afghanis ($23.60). The price of rice rose by about 350 afghanis ($5.20), while a five-liter container of cooking oil went from 470 afghanis ($6.90) to 570 afghanis ($8.40). Gasoline rose by 23 afghanis ($0.35) per liter, and cooking gas increased by 15 afghanis ($0.22) per kilo.

Residents said the blackout not only fueled inflation but also sparked widespread anxiety. Banks and currency exchanges were shuttered, traders reported millions of afghanis in losses, and rumors spread quickly in the absence of reliable information.

“Without the internet, it felt as if the soul had been taken from the people,” one Helmand resident said, adding that speculation circulated about foreign troop movements and Taliban leaders being killed.

Prices began to fall again after internet services resumed, but analysts warn that any future shutdowns could once more disrupt markets and deepen Afghanistan’s economic instability.