ISLAMABAD: Fuel prices in Kabul increased from 66 afghanis ($1.05) to 75 afghanis ($1.19) per liter on Sunday, marking a sharp jump that signals the depth of Afghanistan's broader energy crisis.
The increase in gas prices put immediate pressure on households and businesses across the Afghan capital, 8AM Media reported.
The price increase has compounded an already desperate situation for millions of Afghans. Kabul residents are allotted just 5 to 6 hours of electricity per day, according to June 2026 humanitarian data from Tolo News. Afghanistan imports 80% of its electricity, leaving the nation entirely dependent on foreign power sources that are now proving unreliable, the United Nations Development Programme reported.
The World Food Program reported in June that energy shortages, combined with soaring fuel costs and border friction, have thrust an additional 2.3 million Afghans into acute food insecurity. The crisis has accelerated as nearly 5.9 million Afghans have returned to the country since 2023, according to a June 8 security briefing by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The increase has overwhelmed the country's already fragile power grid, pushing it beyond capacity.
The humanitarian toll is staggering. The United Nations Human Rights Office projects that roughly 45% of Afghanistan's population (approximately 21.9 million people) will need humanitarian assistance this year. That figure reflects the compounding impact of energy shortages and an ongoing drought that gripped the country from August 2025 through January 2026, according to UN Human Rights.
Officials have announced infrastructure projects, though solutions remain distant. Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, the state power utility, reported progress on June 26 on a 500-kilowatt transmission project drawing power from Turkmenistan, The Kabul Tribune reported.
The National Procurement Commission approved $53.4 million on June 24 for 16 strategic projects focused on power lines, electrical grids, and dam infrastructure, RT English reported.
However, these measures offer little immediate relief. Infrastructure projects announced in June will take years to complete and won't add power to the grid for several seasons, according to Xinhua.
Afghanistan imports 80% of its electricity from neighboring countries, a dependency marked by constant disruptions. Severe snowfall cut imports from Turkmenistan to northern provinces earlier this year, and technical faults blacked out Herat for six days, according to the Kabul Tribune.
Even when electricity is available, Kabul's transmission lines lack the capacity to meet summer demand, a bottleneck of roughly 450 megawatts, as reported by Al Jazeera.
With fuel prices climbing and electricity rations tightening, millions of Afghans face a summer without adequate power or food security, with infrastructure relief months away from delivery.
