The Afghanistan Federation of Journalists and Media expressed concerns over the situation of media in Afghanistan and said that over 200 media outlets have ceased operations and 7,000 media workers have lost their jobs in the past year.
Officials of the group noted that they had made suggestions to the international community and the Islamic Emirate about the protection of media workers, but the problem has not been solved.
“In the last year, out of 544 media outlets, 218 of them were closed, and out of 1200 media workers, 7000 of them lost their jobs,” said Hujatullah Mujaddidi, head of the Free Association of Afghan Journalists.
According to officials of media in Takhar province, nine out of the region's 13 media outlets have closed as a result of economic challenges.
Officials from the media add that they are unable to pay their employees' salaries and that four other media outlets in this province will also stop operating if the situation continues.
“Takhar’s local media is facing economic challenges, it has lost its staff and its activities stopped,” said Abdul Sami Khawari, director of a media outlet in Takhar.
“We had seven employees here, due to economic challenges we have laid them off,” said Sadrudin Qunarai, director of a media outlet in Takhar.
“Most of the media workers have lost their jobs, and some of them have left the country or are doing hard manual labor,” said Abdul Bashir Habibyar, director of another local media outlet in Takhar.
“Most of the journalists who have lost their jobs cannot provide food for their families,” said Parween Iqbally, a journalist.
According to the Afghanistan Federation of Journalists and Media, more than 2,800 women were employed in the Afghan media before the Islamic Emirate came to power, but more than 2,100 of them have lost their jobs as a result of several factors in the last year.
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