Meeting of the Commission for Collecting Beggars and Preventing Begging Held

The regular meeting of the Commission for Collecting Beggars and Preventing Begging was held today, Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Marmarin Palace, under the chairmanship of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs.

At the outset of the meeting, the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs spoke about the core objective behind the establishment of the commission, as well as the significance of the process of collecting beggars from Kabul city over the past three years. The Deputy PM stated that, as a result of the efforts of the commission’s member institutions, a large number of beggars have been collected from Kabul city, and that deserving beggars have been provided with monthly cash assistance and food aid by the Islamic Emirate.

Subsequently, officials from the Office of the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs presented a monitoring report to the meeting on the activities of the Commission for Collecting Beggars and Preventing Begging. According to the report, since the start of the beggar-collection process in Kabul city, a total of 74,968 beggars have been collected. Following detailed assessments, 37,947 were identified as deserving, while 37,021 were identified as professional beggars. The deserving beggars have been referred to the Afghan Red Crescent, through which monthly financial assistance is transferred to them via bank accounts. In addition, some deserving beggars have been referred to the Ministry of Public Health for medical treatment, while others have been referred to Kabul Municipality for employment opportunities.

Alongside the activities carried out by the commission, the report also shared with participants the existing challenges in certain areas.

After hearing the report, the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs issued serious instructions to all member ministries and institutions of the commission to properly implement and enforce the approved procedure of the “Commission for Collecting Beggars and Preventing Begging,” as endorsed by the Esteemed Amir al-Mu’minin, may Allah protect him. He added that although the number of beggars in Kabul city had initially been significantly reduced, it has recently increased again to some extent, which requires serious follow-up and action.

It was also decided that the commission’s meeting will be held once a month under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior for Counter-Narcotics, and that reports on its activities will be submitted to the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs.