A number of citizens are concerned about the increase in food prices in Afghanistan and have said that despite the decrease in the value of the US dollar against the Afghan currency, the price of raw materials has not come down.

They want the relevant institutions to seriously monitor the markets.

“When the dollar goes up, traders will raise commodity prices to the sky. When the dollar goes down, prices remainy the same. They do not lower the prices. I wish that when the dollar goes down, commodity prices will also go down because people are poor. Cruelty won’t help,” Mujibur Rahman, a resident of Takhar, said.

Noor Ahmad Shah, a resident of Kunduz, said: “Dollar rate has come down, but the traders are unfair. The government does not pay attention either.”

Some shopkeepers say that if the prices are determined by the wholesalers, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce should pay attention to this and prevent hoarding.

Amanullah, a shopkeeper in Kabul, said: “I expect the government to monitor prices. Traders should be told to sell according to market prices. Traders are responsible for high prices. Shopkeepers and retailers are not involved. We only take 10 or 20 afghanis profit and sell.”

Kabul Municipality says that it has set a price list for sellers and does not allow anyone to sell at high prices.

Nematullah Barakzai, the press adviser of Kabul Municipality, says: “Kabul Municipality is working seriously to control prices according to its rules. Prices are good as dollar rate has stabilized. Hotline 155 is at the service of all citizens. If someone sells at high prices, the responsible teams will take care of it urgently. We expect traders to help citizens in the holy month of Ramadan.”

Every year, during the holy month of Ramadan, commodity prices rise leaving many people unable to pay for their basic needs.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet met with Cihad Erginay, the director general of South Asia of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs , on Sunday for talks on various issues including the situation in Afghanistan.

At the meeting, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, both sides shared viewpoints on political, economic and humanitarian aspects of Afghanistan and discussed possible avenues of cooperation.

They explored ideas and approaches to address the key concerns in the light of relevant OIC resolutions.

The meeting underscored the importance of sustained engagement to support the Afghan people and pursue constructive dialogue with the de facto authorities on various issues.

Bakheet acknowledged and appreciated the positive role and contributions of the Republic of Türkiye towards advancing the objectives set forth in the OIC resolutions.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue exchange of notes to advance shared goals of peace, prosperity and stability in Afghanistan.

A senior US senator warned on Sunday that Ukraine could face disastrous consequences if the United States doesn’t resume military aid and intelligence sharing.

Lindsey Graham, who is also a member of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, said in an interview with Fox News that the Ukraine needs to get intelligence and weapons for as long as there is fighting.

“If we pull the plug on Ukraine, it would be worse than Afghanistan,” he said.

“In terms of Russia, I’ll be introducing sanctions on their banking sector and their energy sector next week, urging them to get to the table.”

“If they don’t engage in ceasefire and peace talks with the administration, we should sanction the hell out of them,” he added.

Graham’s comments came just days after the Trump administration halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday confirmed that the US has paused military aid to the former Soviet republic.