Taliban fails to pay electricity bills, Kabul to face blackout, warns ex-power official

Daud Noorzai, the former CEO of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), has warned that Afghanistan's Kabul could face a blackout and the scenario could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The city could go black ahead of the winter season due to the country's new Taliban rulers' failure to pay dues to Central Asian electricity suppliers.

Noorzai is currently in communication with DABS officials daily after resigning on August 15, just two weeks after the Taliban seized power. According to him, the consequences will be felt across the country, but mainly in Kabul. He also stated that a blackout would occur, returning Afghanistan to the 'Dark Ages' in terms of power and communications. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan provide half of the country's electricity.

Afghanistan lacks a national electricity grid

According to the Wall Street Journal, the drought has hurt domestic output. According to the research, Kabul is almost totally reliant on Central Asian power imports since Afghanistan lacks a national electricity grid. Because the Taliban no longer attack Central Asian transmission cables, Kabul now has plenty of power. Things could change if Central Asian suppliers decide to turn off DABS due to non-payment because their ties to the Taliban worsen. According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Afghanistan faces a terrible humanitarian crisis and an imminent socio-economic collapse, both of which will be disastrous for the region and global security.

Josep Borrell's statement

In a blog post, Borrell expressed his thoughts, "Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than one-third of the population living on less than USD 2 a day. For years, it has been heavily dependent on foreign aid. In 2020, international assistance accounted for 43 per cent of the country's GDP and 75 per cent of salaries paid in the civil service came from foreign aid. Afghanistan has to import almost all industrial products, all fossil fuels and a large part of the wheat that is necessary to feed a country that is far from self-sufficient and that has been severely affected by droughts."

(Inputs from ANI)

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