Deh Yahya

1. Community demographics

According to key informant interviews conducted with local authority figures, there are approximately 3,000 households in the Deh Yahya neighborhood of Deh Sabz district. On average, each household has 8 members. Inhabitants of this area are predominantly Dari speakers. The majority are children and youth (under 24). The health profile of the community is average, with frequent occurrences of pneumonia / coughs as well as psychological problems.

There is an IDP population of approximately 200 households in the community. IDPs mainly originate from Achin and Shinwari districts of Nangarhar, areas which are under threat from ISIS. IDPs live among the host population. Approximately 300-400 households in the area are returnees, most of whom returned from Pakistan and Iran after the fall of the Taliban. The area has not seen the arrival of recent returnees. According to local key informants it is unlikely that the area will see a significant outflux of inhabitants over the next two years: It is considered one of the most secure areas in the capital, and those living here tend to own their dwellings .

2. Community geography

The community is located in the hills and has a stream flowing nearby. Almost every household has access to shallow wells, mainly without hand pumps. Most of the houses were made of mud without plumbing / sewage. The roofs are flat and built using wooden poles, mud and straws. A tall mud wall surrounds every dwelling Most of the houses (70%) were mud houses, as its name describes them, are made of mud, with no plumbing or proper sewer systems. The roofs are flat and are built using wooden poles, and then coated with a mixture of mud and straws. Tall mud walls surround every house to provide security and privacy to those living in the house. One house in five approximately is of a different quality, built with cement and bricks. Those are mainly two to three stories tall. There are no large buildings in the area except the schools, mosques and an old mansion.

The area is densely populated and predominantly residential - most shops are clustered on the main road. The roads are paved. There are ten mosques, the main one on the bazaar. One boys' and one girls' high school serve the area, along with a private high school and a vocational training school. There is no hospital here, but a a Basic Community Health clinic provices healthcare.

3. Economic profile

Most people in the area work in agriculture, though a significant minority are employed by the public sector or work as shopkeepers and daily wage labourers. A number of brick kilns employ several hundred people. Many of the area's non-farming residents have full-time regular work.

4. Energy profile

Although the necessary infrastructure is in place, the area has not yet been connected to the grid. Transformers, power cables and pillars sit unused by the main road for the time being - rumors are circulating that DABS will provide power to the area shortly. No DABS representative could be located in the area.

The clinic near Dehyaya has a large solar panel. Energy solutions used by households range from small and medium-sized solar panels to small-size power generators and batteries (75 ampère). Most inhabitants cannot afford to buy a generator / fuel. Those who do have one can get it maintained at a small local workshop.

Residents of the area use wood, animal dung and LPG for cooking. The most common stove is a basic wood oven. Dwellings are heated with wood, sawdust and dung.