Afghan small business owners in anxious wait over what comes next

Businesses in Kabul struggle to attract customers as thousands seek way out of the country following Taliban takeover.

Kabul, Afghanistan – In the week since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the nation’s small business economy has been dealt a series of devastating blows. Most banks remain closed, nearly all ATMs do not dispense cash, government offices largely remain shut, the passport directorate and visa offices are closed, weddings and other joyous occasions have come to a halt. The small business owners who usually sell goods and services around these parts of life are left to wonder what comes next.