Afghan men pan for gold in Hindu Kush mountains amid job scarcity

4 articles · Updated · linkedin · Apr 28

In Kunar’s riverbeds and Ghaziabad’s mountainsides, hundreds of Afghan men like Delawar, 45, extract tiny gold flakes, sometimes earning up to 1 gram weekly—worth about $125.
The grueling work involves digging, hauling, and sifting riverbed dirt, providing a crucial income source for families facing limited employment options in Afghanistan.
Despite the small yields, gold prospecting offers a lifeline for many, as gold’s universal value enables Afghans to support their families where few alternatives exist.

What is the hidden environmental cost to Afghanistan's rivers and farmlands from this desperate search for gold?

How do distant wars and central bank policies fuel the daily struggle for gold in Afghan mountains?

Is panning for gold flakes a sustainable future for families in one of the world's poorest nations?

Why did the Taliban side with local miners to ban machines, preserving a pre-industrial way of life?

As China eyes Afghan minerals, are local miners facing a new era of conflict over resources?

How is the U.S. countering China's influence over Afghanistan's trillion-dollar mineral reserves?