KABUL, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 66 couples got married in a mass ceremony in western Afghanistan's Farah province, an event organized to reduce wedding costs amid the country's severe economic climate, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported.
The ceremony was funded by a local charity organization, with each new couple receiving essential household appliances valued at about 1,500 U.S. dollars to help establish their homes, according to the report on Monday.
The mass wedding highlights the profound economic challenges facing Afghans. Widespread unemployment, a deepening economic crisis, and the high costs of traditional dowries and lavish gifts often force young Afghans to delay marriage for years.
The Afghan government has urged citizens to simplify marriage traditions and avoid unnecessary expenditures on wedding ceremonies. ■