As coronavirus infections rise throughout Afghanistan, the government has approved a plan to gradually ease lockdown restrictions in the capital Kabul, with businesses and offices opening for certain hours and their numbers of staff rotating.
After a quiet Eid Al Fitr holiday and a three-day ceasefire that both the Taliban and the Afghan government adhered to, Kabul’s markets once filled with people as vendors opened their shops; the streets full of cars and overcrowded taxis.
Few people wear masks, barely anyone is adhering to distancing guidelines. Drug addicts occupy crowded spaces, sitting closely together, sharing pipes and cigarettes.
“We’ve been on lockdown since late March, although the majority of people didn’t follow the restrictions,” said Noor Adi, a 40-year-old shop owner.
“You look around the city, and the virus seems to not have killed many. That’s why I’m not afraid anymore. I’m more afraid of not being able to provide for my family, or not being able to bring home food. If you ask me, there is no coronavirus here.”
But Afghanistan's official disease toll sits at just above 16,000 infections, including 270 deaths, yet so far, only about 35,000 people have been tested in the 35 million strong nation. A recent sample of 500 random residents throughout the city saw nearly one third test positive - many of them asymptomatic - but Kabul's mayor Daoud Sultanzoy told The National that there is a good possibility that half of the city's six million people could be infected.
“You can’t force people here to be locked in. Many need to go to the shop every day because they have neither savings nor refrigeration in their houses. There aren’t enough service providers and that’s part of the reason why many have resisted authorities,” he explained.
It didn’t take long for residents - with many families living in crammed neighbourhoods where social distancing is almost impossible - to defy the lockdown and return to their routines. Afghanistan has, at the start of the pandemic, largely adopted guidelines rolled out in places like Europe or the United States.
But the International Rescue Committee, in a report, said that “one size does not fit all.”
In places like Afghanistan, “governments are unable to provide sufficient relief packages or social safety nets. Sweeping mitigation measures like those undertaken in Italy or the United States will not just be difficult to implement but could cause longer term and more widespread harm than the disease itself,” it explained.
But while low numbers of both deaths and tested infections have puzzled the nation, figures seem to be picking up steadily.
“All ICUs in public hospitals are full,” said the country’s Deputy Minister of Health Wahid Majroh, adding that the ministry is running out of medical facilities and equipment, including masks and ventilators.
But while public life seems to be drifting back to normal, a handful of residents stick to their personal precautions.
“I’m not going to risk the coronavirus,” said Massoud Niaz, a 33-year-old father of two. “My children are complaining. They are bored inside our apartment, but I keep telling them that quarantining will keep our family safe.”
Mayor Sultanzoy said that, with families having visited relatives over the Eid Al Fitr holidays, infections could rise significantly over the coming weeks.
“But here in Afghanistan, the war has also played an indirect role during this pandemic,” he explained, noting that for many, the virus might seem a smaller issue in comparison to the overall situation.
Numbers of coronavirus deaths have been relatively minimal compared to war casualties. According to the United Nations, 533 civilians were killed in the first three months of 2002 alone.
“Afghans are defying the lockdown,” Mr Sultanzoy said. “Maybe because they have already seen so much fighting and bloodshed.”
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 95-108) US$125,000 2000m (Dirt).
Winner: Don’t Give Up, Gerald Mosse (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (95 ) $160,000 2810m (Turf).
Winner: Los Barbados, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.40pm: Handicap (80-89) $60,000 1600m (D).
Winner: Claim The Roses, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (Div-1) Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D)
Winner: Gold Town, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Cape Verdi Group 2 $200,000 1600m (T).
Winner: Promising Run, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D).
Winner: El Chapo, Luke Morris, Fawzi Nass.
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
