Chapter 14 - Kunaroona

Kunaroona or Kunar province is in the north-east of Afghanistan and comprises an estimated area of 4339 Km2. The province has a long border with the tribal areas of Pakistan. A part of the Durand Line, which separates Afghanistan and Pakistan, passes along with the ragged terrain of Kunar. There are dozens of crossings on the border which are traditionally used for foot traffic by the residents, smugglers and insurgents defying the Durand Line. In Kunar, Arandu-Barikot in Ghazi Abad district and Nawa pass in Sarkani district are two important crossing points between Afghanistan and Pakistan which are also used for vehicle traffic and are important for local trade.

The official name of the province is "Kunaroona" in Pashto and "Kunarha" in Dari, which means valleys. However, the province is generally known as "Kunar". If one sees from the air, the province is like a long valley, composed of many small valleys, thus singular term is used. Kunar population is about 0.5 million of which 98% are Pashtun while the remaining are Pashai, Nuristani and Gujar tribes.

Kunar was the most kinetic province in Afghanistan during the ISAF’s presence (2001 – 2020). Valleys like Korengal, Pech and Ganjigal are parts of this province. Stories related to various security incidents in these valleys were narrated in many documentaries and books in the USA. Counter Taliban efforts in the province received six out of 12 medals of honor, the highest US military mark of reverence, awarded during the Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan (www.history.army.mil/moh/afghanistan).

Like many other provinces of Afghanistan, Kunar is also unique. About 86% of the province is mountainous and hilly. Agriculture is a major source of revenue for 47% of the households. In rural areas 79% of the households own or work on agricultural land (www.adaptafghan.org/). Due to hilly topography agriculture is limited to the little land available in the valleys along with the river or terraces on the mountain slopes. Wheat and maize are the major agricultural crops of the area, while rice is grown in the area where reliable irrigation is available. Sugar cane and cotton are the only industrial crops of the province. Fruits (mulberry, grapes, and walnuts), vegetables (onion and potato) and fodder are mostly grown in garden plots. However, livelihood in the province was mostly dependent on animal farming. The province has large, predominantly pine and oak forests and was one of the pastoral destinations of nomadic herds.

Kunar was rich in natural mineral resources. Deposits of precious, semi-precious and industrial use minerals were scattered throughout the province. The provincial Mines Department had identified 180 locations where mineral deposits such as mica, marble, quartz, chromite, talc, antimony, aquamarine, tourmaline, agate, morganite, kunzite and rubellite are available. Presence of emerald deposits in Badal valley are also reported (http://mines.pajhwok.com/news/mineral-resources-kunar).

Commercial activities in the province were mostly related to timber and gems. Despite all these resources, Kunar was among the poorest provinces of Afghanistan. As compared to the national poverty rate of 36%, Kunar has a poverty rate of 55-76% (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-756SP). Some criminal elements in the province are involved in illegal extraction of national assets of timber and gems. Extraction of these valuable resources in a non-professional way by these criminals was also resulting in the wastage of these resources. However, the provincial government at that time was working hard to protect these valuable assets.

Kunar had a rich culture of agriculture. However, 40 years of war have caused severe damages to the agriculture infrastructure. Analyses of soil samples from Kunar classified its soils as "prime soils". According to Jason Nemecek, a USDA-NRCS soil scientist, who collected these samples reported that such soils in the USA were producing 100 bushels/acre, while in Kunar the production was just 30 bushels/acre, indicating a great potential to increase agricultural productivity by adopting improved farming practices.

Shortage of drinking and irrigation water was identified as a main concern recognized in the provincial development program followed by the livestock and fodder production, energy, sanitation, transport, and communication. Many donor agencies including USAID during the ISAF presence helped rehabilitate irrigation channels, constructed new irrigation control devices and provided training to the farmers in many areas of the province to sustain subsistence agriculture.

In addition, dozens of schools, healthcare facilities, roads and bridges were also built. Roads, like 121 km Jalalabad-Asmar Road which links Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, tremendously improved the life of the area people. Before the rehabilitation of this road, a bumpy and dusty journey from Jalalabad to Asad Abad was five hours but now it takes only two hours of a smooth journey. New roads and bridges in various valleys of the province also helped connect remote areas to Asad Abad, thus easy access to businesses, education, and health care. Infrastructures for various Government institutions in the province like district centers, provincial headquarters and garrisons for the security forces were also built with the help of international partners. These institutions are still functional and delivering much needed services to the Afghan people even after the withdrawal of ISAF and establishment of a new government. Ibrahim, a resident of the village Kerala, who has been witnessing the development process in Asad Abad since 2002, said that the infrastructure built during the years 2010 to 2017 might have taken the Afghan government more than 20 years to put up if no help from USAID and ISAF was available.

Asad Abad (Chaghasarai) is the provincial headquarters of Kunar province and is located at the convergence of Pech and Asmar rivers. About two decades before, Asad Abad was a very small town but now it is bustling with shops and businesses. Many new shopping centers and educational institutions have opened making it one of the busiest towns of the province. Asad Abad is linked with the surrounding villages through many bridges built by the USA. These bridges have been providing area people an access to services, higher education, and other facilities available in the major towns of the country. ISAF's Forwarded Operation Base, FOB Wright was located about two Km from the Asad Abad's city center and provincial headquarter.

Kunar is also the birthplace of Syed Jamal-ud-Din Afghani (1838-1897), a nineteenth century political reformer. According to the oral history, Syed Jamal-ud-Din Afghani was born in the village "Saddar Gutt" in Pashad area which is about 18 km from Asad Abad. Syed Afghani died and was buried in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1944, on the request of the Afghan Government, Syed Afghani's remains were brought to Afghanistan and buried in the premises of Kabul University. In his honor, the name of the Kunar provincial center was changed from Chaghasarai to Asad Abad. The only public sector University in Asad Abad is also named after him.

In August 2012, Union City, San Francisco, California added Asad Abad as its sixth sister city to celebrate the diversity of its cultures. Since then both cities have established cultural partnership. Kunar is also very scenic and can become a tourist attraction, further strengthening the economy of the area.