The passport office in the Afghan capital Kabul is temporarily closed due to the high demand for identity documents.
The equipment for issuing biometric passports has failed under the pressure of many thousands of applications every day, the head of the office said.
Demand for passports has exploded in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power. The travel documents are requested by people who are at risk under the new regime and people who want to leave because of the humanitarian and economic crisis. As a result, thousands of Afghans cross the border every day.
According to director Alam Gul Haqqani, about 15,000 to 20,000 people camped at the office every day. In addition to the crowds, according to the director, delays also occurred because the equipment regularly broke down.
To avoid inconvenience for the applicants, it has been decided to keep the office closed for the time being. Work is expected to resume in a few days.
