Plans to end cave dwelling in Bamyan

Authorities in Bamyan Province, central Afghanistan, plan to end cave dwelling, which has been practised by hundreds of destitute households for decades, through land distribution. However, some cave dwellers say they need more than a piece of land to build a house.



“In one year, hopefully, we will settle the cave-dwelling issue through the distribution of land,” Habiba Sarabi, the governor of Bamyan, told IRIN.



The caves – ranging from 3-8 sqm – were hollowed out centuries ago in the hills surrounding the two giant Buddha statues in Bamyan city, which were blown up by the Taliban in 2001. Some caves are about 40-70m above the ground and access can be precarious, particularly in winter.



Sanitation and potable water are a major problem for many cave dwellers, but a few toilets and water taps have been built by aid agencies.



“The cave dwellers can be divided into three groups: internally displaced people from different areas inside the country, returnees from Iran and Pakistan, and local people who have lived there [in caves] for decades,” said Sarabi.



Exact numbers of cave dwellers are unknown but the provincial department of Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) put the figure at up to 500 households.



Where's the money?



“What can I do with a piece of land?” asked Mohammad Hussein, an elderly cave dweller. “We can’t eat properly so where is the money to build a house?”



Hussein’s concerns were echoed by two neighbours who said they would prefer to stay in the caves.



The governor and ARCS officials said some residents had been attached to cave dwelling for generations and therefore found moving to a proper house a fundamental change to their lifestyle.



However, there were some who liked the idea of a house of their own.



“We will build our house with our bare hands… we only want a piece of land,” said one man, adding that he had lived in a cave for four years.



For the past five years the authorities have tried to evict people from caves near the empty holes left by the Buddha statues as archaeologists work to rebuild them.



However, some say cave dwelling will not go away quickly. “Bamyan is still a pre-modern rural community, which has yet to embrace urbanization and therefore cave dwelling will be here for some years,” Mohammad Saddiq Aliyar, ARCS provincial director, told IRIN.



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