Shaalbafaan

1. Community demographics

According to key informant interviews conducted with local authority figures, Shaalbafaan in Herat is split into an area of District 7 with approximately 750 families and 4000 people and a District 14 area with 1900 families and 25,000 people. The majority of the area is Pashtun, comprising approximately 70% of the community, 25% are Tajiks with the remaining minority made up of Balochs, Uzbeks and Hazaras. Dari is the most used language in the community, although the Pashtuns may speak Pashto amongst themselves. The community health profile is average, with issues including tuberculosis and malaria due to open septic wells, as well as cancer.

There is an IDP population of approximately 300 families with 1500 people living in Shaalbafaan. The majority are from Farah and Baghes provinces but there are also IDPs from Helmand, Nimroz, Ghor and Maimana provinces. An estimated 400 families and 2400 people are returnees, mostly from Iran but also about 100 families from Pakistan. Some of the returnees will return to Iran according to local authority figures. Apart from those families, almost the entire community are expected to stay in the area over the coming years.

2. Community geography

The community is a densely populated urban area close to the centre of Herat. Most of the buildings are made from brick and/or concrete with several multi-storey buildings. Houses made from mud are very rare in the area. The key buildings included the mosque and the school. The community use piped water.

3. Economic profile

The majority of the community work in construction as daily wage labourers. A small number of people work in government, an estimated 20% of people run their own businesses and a small minority are traders. Other professions included beauticians, tailors, metalworkers, barbers, all of which had strong trade during periods such as Eids with slowdowns during the winter. Household activities for profit included carpet weaving, tailoring and other handicrafts, usually performed by women. Local authority figures noted that many young people go to Iran for work. Key informants spoke about the lack of industry and factories for employment in the area, and the only businesses in the area were shops run by their owners.

4. Energy profile

Local authority figures stated that the entire community had access to grid electricity provided through Da Afghan Brishan Sherkat (DABS), and that power is reliable for 24 hours per day and in all seasons. Businessmen and some households have generators for the rare times there are power outages. Most households use gas to cook but some poorer households continue to use wood in traditional clay ovens. People use gas and electrical heaters, usually imported from Iran.

The price of electricity for households is standardised across Herat at 5 Afs per kwh. However, metalworkers who were interviewed complained about the high price of electricity that they pay at 12.5 Afs per kwh.