As many as seventy Afghan couples tied nuptial knots in Kabul during a mass wedding ceremony, on Tuesday as the country is facing intense financial problem, after the political changes in mid-August last year.
Silab Foundation held the mass wedding program for up to 70 couples who were unable to arrange their wedding parties individually due to economic problems.
Afghanistan is grappling with serious humanitarian crisis as according to the international assessment, the country has now the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world.
More than 3 million are also in serious need of assistance, and approximately 95 percent of the population having insufficient food consumption.
The ceremony titled “Easy Mass Wedding” was arranged for up to 70 couples from Kabul and some neighboring provinces with the cost of up to 1,000,000 Afghani (some 11,400 U.S. dollar), said Mohammad Idris Rasouli, the organizer of the program.
“We collected some 6,000 Afghanis (less than 100 U.S. dollar) from each couple and provided each of them with 20 types of household goods including dishes and other kitchen utensils,” Rasouli told media.
The cost, according to the organizer, was collected from charitable individuals who voluntarily paid for holding the mass wedding.
This is a costly affair to get married in Afghanistan. Couples from families unable to bear the expenses have to register with the low-cost large-scale marriage.
“We are happy with the mass wedding as we were unable to marry for four years.
It will take at least 1000,000 Afghani, if we marry individually,” said Pari a new bride who attended the program.
Absolute poverty and unemployment are being witnessed by the Afghans at an all-time high in the capital Kabul and other provinces, while drought, conflict, the COVID-19 outbreak have added to their woes.
Also, the continuously soaring prices of food items have emerged as a new challenge for the people, as in a short span of fewer than three months, food prices have almost doubled.
Now, the price of a sack of flour ranges between 2,800 to 3,000 Afghanis comparing that of previously sold at 1,400 Afghanis.
The price of fuel and taxi fares has also surged due to the economic crisis, as Husain Akbar one of the grooms joined the ceremony said poverty caused him and his fiancée to wait for up to four years unmarried. “I thank my spouse for exercising patience and dealing with our poverty and destituteness for four years. We will remain alongside each other and I hope this culture be popularized all over the country,” Husain Akbar said. Some 4,000 gusts have also been invited to take part in the ceremony, the 10th one recently held in Kabul this year.
Earlier, the foundation also held similar ceremonies in Afghanistan northern Balkh and southern Ghazni province.
Saida Ahmadi
