COVID-19: War-weary Afghans grapple with panic buying

KABUL, Afghanistan 

In the midst of a creepy coronavirus pandemic, war-weary Afghans found themselves grappling with another grim dilemma -- skyrocketing prices of basic commodities as officials blamed hoarding and panic buying.

For the landlocked country going through a political crisis and years of raging insurgency, border closures - this time over fears of coronavirus, trigger bitter memories from the past causing panic.

Bringing back haunting memories

The capital Kabul's main "Mandawi " market -- which is otherwise only frequented by local vendors and small scale traders from neighboring provinces for wholesale purchase -- has been offering chaotic scenes of