Helmand journalists struggling with economic woes

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Journalists in southern Helmand province complain they are facing serious economic issues, saying neither the government nor other institutions provided any assistance to them.

Many of these journalists say they have lost their jobs and have been forced to start other activities.

WahidullahWahdat, who has worked with various media outlets in the province for the past few years, is now working as a mason.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News that he lost his job after not paid for several months and his family had to work as day laborers to survive.

He added that despite the fact that his job was difficult, he was now a mason and trying to feed his children.

Hazrat Mohammad Rohani, a local journalist in Helmand, said he is the caretaker of two families, one of his own and another of his brother Abdul SamadRohani, who was killed years ago while working with BBC and Pajhwok.

He said that he was struggling with economic problems and the money he received from his office now was not meeting his needs.

Rohani added that he was worried that he would not be able to take care of the two families as the cold winter was approaching.

He lamented that journalists had been forgotten as neither the government nor other institutions paid attention to their situation.

Bakhtar News Agency correspondent in Helmand, Gul Mohammad Ghorzang said that he did not receive his salary for the last three months and would be obliged to resign if the situation continued.

However, he said that he was worried he would be unable to find another job if leaves the current one.

Ghorzang asked the government and journalists’ advocacy groups to help address problems of media people.

Hafiz Nusratullah, director of a local radio station, Sukoon, said that not only journalists but local radio stations were facing similar problems as many of them had been closed.

“With the arrival of the current administration, many local media outlets in Helmand have stopped operating. If the situation continues, all media outlets will be closed and their employees will lose their jobs,” he said.

Mulavi Mohammad QasimRiaz, deputy head of Helmand’s information and culture department, acknowledged that the media and journalists were facing economic problems.

He said that if the frozen assets of Afghanistan were freed, it would help resolve all problems including economic issues of media outlets.

Mds/ma

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