Daykundi ( prs, دایکندی) also spelled as Daikundi, Daykondi, Daikondi or Dai Kundi, is one of the thirty-four
provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over 1,000 villages.
Provincial governors played a c ...
, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 516,504, and is a
Hazara Province.
[
Daykundi Province was carved out of the northern part of ]Uruzgan Province
Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as t ...
in 2004, becoming a separate province. It falls into the traditionally ethnic Hazara region known as the Hazaristan
Hazaristan ( fa, هزارستان, Hazāristān), or Hazarajat ( fa, هزارهجات, Hazārajāt) is a mostly mountainous region in the central highlands of Afghanistan, among the Koh-i-Baba mountains in the western extremities of the H ...
(Hazarajat) and the provincial capital is Nili
NILI was a Jewish espionage network which assisted the United Kingdom in its fight against the Ottoman Empire in Palestine between 1915 and 1917, during World War I. NILI is an acronym which stands for the Hebrew phrase "Netzah Yisrael Lo Yesha ...
. It is surrounded by Bamyan Province
Bamyan Province ( prs, ولایت بامیان) also spelled Bamiyan, Bāmīān or Bāmyān is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central highlands of the Afghanistan.
The terrain in Bamyan is mountainous or semi-m ...
in the northeast, Ghazni Province
Ghazni (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most populous province. Th ...
in the southeast, Uruzgan Province
Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as t ...
in the south, Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...
in the southwest, and Ghor Province in the northwest.
History
Daykundi was established on March 28, 2004, when it was created from the isolated Hazara-dominated northern districts of neighboring Uruzgan Province
Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as t ...
.
Development and security
The province maintains its own security through the Afghan police and military.
While the Government of Afghanistan
The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political pow ...
, NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s, the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
, and NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's ISAF
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
forces have had little involvement in reconstruction in the province, there have been some initiatives. Following heavy rainfall and flooding in February 2007 the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) opened a sub-office in the province and Oxfam, one of the few NGOs operating in the province, described UNAMA's input into coordinating flood relief as impressive.
In November 2007 a World Food Programme
The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен ...
convoy carrying mixed food aid was forced to abandon its mission due to security concerns and Afghanistan's Interior Ministry confirmed that Taliban insurgents had infiltrated the southern district of Kajran in a bid to destabilize the province. On 11 November 2007 Afghan forces launched a military operation to drive out the insurgents.
The United States began building new government institutions in the province. The insurgency problem and shortage of food continued until 2012. Several government officials have warned in October 2012 that "If the government or NGOs (non-governmental organizations) do not address the situation with proper assistance, Daikundi would witness many deaths this winter." In the meantime, a rebel leader along with his 150 fighters joined the government-initiated peace drive in Nili, capital of Daikundi province.
Notable people
Daikundi has a lot of famous writers, researchers, artists, athletes, authors, and story writers, for example:
*Sarwar Danish
Muhammad Sarwar Danish ( prs, ; born 1961) is an Afghan politician who was the second vice president of Afghanistan, from 2014 to 2021. He was previously the acting minister of justice from 2004 to 2010 and acting minister of higher education f ...
, lawyer, and politician, who is the second vice president of Afghanistan.
*Muhammad Hussain Sadiqi Nili
Muhammad Hussain Sadiqi Nili ( prs, محمدحسین صادقی نیلی) was one of the jihadist leaders in Afghanistan.
Early life
Muhammad Hussain Sadiqi Nili, was born on 1940, in a family of Hazara, in the Nili village of Daykundi. He ...
, was a politician and a jihadist leader in Afghanistan.
*Sadiqi Zada Nili
Nasrullah Sadiqi Zada Nili (Dari: , known as Sadiqi Zada Nili, Dari: ) is an ethnic Hazara politician from Afghanistan. He is the representative of the Daikundi people in the fifteenth and sixteenth parliamentary sessions of the Afghanistan Parli ...
, politician.
*Asadullah Saadati
Asadullah Sa'adati ( prs, اسدالله سعادتی) is an ethnic Hazara politician in Afghanistan. He was the representative of this province during the 16th term of Afghanistan Parliament.
Early life
Asadullah Saadati was born on 2 April ...
, politician.
*Sarwar Sarkhosh
Sarwar Sarkhosh ( Dari-Persian: ) was a singer and one of the Hazara nationalists in Afghanistan. He is the elder brother of Dawood Sarkhosh, a famous singer of the Hazara people.
Early life
Sarwar Sarkhosh was born in 1942, in Urozgan Pr ...
, singer.
*Dawood Sarkhosh
Dawood Sarkhosh (also spelled as Daud Sarkhosh) (Dari-Persian: ) born 26 April 1971 in Urozgan, Afghanistan, is an ethnic Hazara singer, musician and poet.
Early life
Sarkhosh's inspiration was his older brother Sarwar Sarkhosh, a nationali ...
, singer.
* Hussain Sadiqi, an athlete who won in some competitions in the world.
* Shakardokht Jafari, who is a Medical Physicist and an award-winning innovator based at the Surrey Technology Centre. She developed an efficient and low-cost method of measuring a medical dose of radiation.
* Fatema Akbari, entrepreneur.
* Sahraa Karimi, Movie maker.
* Ali Payam, story writer, researcher, journalist, and lawyer, who has written and has published 27 books which contain fictions, law, politic and governance, and folklore.
* Hamza Waeezi, writer.
*Kawa Ayric
Kawa may refer to:
Places
* Kawa, Myanmar, village in the Bago Region of Myanmar
* Kawa, Sudan, town in ancient Nubia
* Kawa, Togo, village in the Bimah Prefecture in the Kara Region of north-eastern Togo
* Kawa River, river of Seram Island, Ind ...
, Drama writer.
* Zahra Mahmoodi, Former Captain of Afghanistan Women's National Football Team.
*Hosain Haidarbigi
*Ali Najafi
*Sakina Mohammadi
Media
There are four radio stations in Daykundi: Sadaye Nili, Nasim, Aftab and Milli Radio.
Demographics
As of 2020, the total population of Daykundi province is estimated to be around 516,504, which is mostly a rural tribal society. The ethnic Hazaras
The Hazaras ( fa, , Həzārə; haz, , Āzərə) are an ethnic group and the principal component of the population of Afghanistan, native to, and primarily residing in the Hazaristan (Hazarajat) region in central Afghanistan and generally scatt ...
make up the majority of the total population of the province. All the inhabitants follow Islam, with Shi'as
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
the majority and Sunnis as the minority. Languages spoken in the province include Dari
Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Afghan government for the Persian language,Lazard, G.Darī ...
or Hazaragi
Hazaragi ( fa, , Həzārəgī; haz, , links=no, Āzərəgī) is an eastern dialect of Persian that is spoken by the Hazara people, primarily in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, as well as other Hazara-populated areas of Afghanist ...
.
Geographic
The province of DaiKundi is located in central Afghanistan. The province is bordered on the south by Uruzgan, on the east by Ghazni and Bamiyan, on the north and west by Ghor, and on the southeast by Helmand. Until March 2004, Dai Kundi was part of Uruzgan province. The Helmand River separates nearly 90 percent of the steep landscape.
Livelihood
Daykundi is a mountainous province that is green and dominated by trees, bushes, wild food plants and agricultural land.
Most people have their own small orchards producing almonds and fruits which they sell them to the market later on. Also, they take care of their animals very carefully and seriously as Livestock is one of the important sources of income and food for them; some of them have goats and sheep while few have their own cattle.
The labor opportunities are very few in the Daykundi province as most of the households go to other provinces in Afghanistan to look for seasonal work. 70% of the household income are coming from family members who are working outside Daykundi; this is one of the main livelihood options for the people of Daykundi.
Agriculture in Daykundi
The dry weather of Daykundi and its uncertainty of precipitation make farmers concerned about their farm products. They are mostly relying on irrigated land, as they are afraid they do not lose their time, capital, and their labors.
As Daykundi does not have enough rainfall, there is a low capacity for wheat, orchard crops, beans, and vegetable production in cultivation; this makes the household members not have enough required food.
Daykundi people have less access to markets as there is a long distance from rural areas to local markets, poor road networks, snowstorms in the winter, and insecurity. However, people still sell their fruits and nuts to the traders at the farm gates, which get transported to the provincial center and regional markets.
Since the water for irrigation has decreased in Daykundi province, farmers are very concerned about their food production and pasture; even, this has affected the farm land leasing. The farmers are not interested to contract lease lands as their crop production is lower and strongly relies on precipitation. Therefore, farm land leasing has decreased in Daykundi province.
The dry weather of Daykundi has not only affected farm production but also has negatively impacted livestock. The fodders and pastures are not enough and sufficient for the animals and they get common diseases like Tuberculosis, PPR (Peste Des Petits Ruminants), Sheep pox, foot and mouth diseases, etc.
Even the dairy preservation is very poor in which milk and dairy are not sold in the market, except Kurut.
The only season that dairy products are consumed is during the spring season between April and June. The rest of the year, people in Daykundi do not have access to better nutrition status and try to import dairy products, like yogurt, from other provinces.
Taking care of fruit trees is the most important agricultural part of Daykundi. The most common fruits are almonds, mulberry, and walnuts. The districts of Shahristan, Miramor, and Ishtarlari are the main and major producers of these fruits.
Also, fruit tree plantations, which are mostly apples and almonds, have been increased and supported by NHLP, National Horticulture and Livestock Project.
Market & Agriculture
The Market of Daykundi is pretty functional throughout the year but it has its struggles over the winter season as communications become difficult.
As a result of the above situation, the market and traders in the district centers make enough food stocks at their household level to ensure that there are enough stocks during the winter season.
Almond Festival Celebration in Day Kundi
The first Gole Badam Festival was celebrated in Daykundi Province three years ago. In 2010, the Hazara People International Network recommended that this Festival be held to commemorate the blossoming of the almond tree.
Almonds are the province's principal agricultural commodity, and many households rely on them for livelihood. While the rest of Afghanistan is known for its opium production, Hazaristan, particularly Daykundi, has opted to focus on almond agriculture.
The city's Almond Festival, an annual event hosted by the province government, drew nearly 4,000 people from all across Dai Kundi to each celeb on yearly basis.
Almond cultivation is a major contributor to the Dai Kundi economy, and the almond festival brings together farmers, citizens, and government officials to enjoy and pray for a plentiful harvest. Almonds are the only significant commodity produced in Dai Kundi that is exported outside of Afghanistan.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Dai Kundi produces over 5,500 tons of almonds every year, accounting for around 11% of Afghanistan's total almond production. Zabul, Ghazni, Samangan, and Balkh are other important almond-growing regions.
Districts
Daikundi province has 10 districts: Nili
NILI was a Jewish espionage network which assisted the United Kingdom in its fight against the Ottoman Empire in Palestine between 1915 and 1917, during World War I. NILI is an acronym which stands for the Hebrew phrase "Netzah Yisrael Lo Yesha ...
, Sangi Takht, Khadir, Gizab, Ishtarlay, Miramor, Shahristan, Kajran, Kiti, and Pato.
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
is the main industry of the province. It is well known for its high-quality almonds, which are distributed throughout Afghanistan.
Climate in DayKundi
Daikundi is the most vulnerable province to Climate Change in Afghanistan. The province experiences acute water shortages and droughts have poor soil quality, and risks of avalanches, landslides, and flooding, which cause extensive damage to agricultural land, infrastructure, and food security.
The impacts of climate change in Daikundi are manifold, mostly due to the limited institutional capacity to plan and respond to these impacts.
With support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) are cooperating on pilot field demonstrations in Daikundi province that aim to build environment adaptive and resilience of vulnerable villages to climate change impacts.
The above-mentioned organization also aims to build the capacity of local institutions to address climate change risk within the peri-urban extent of the rapidly developing Nili Town.
Women Cycling Event
On Thursday, July 12, 2018, a bicycle competition was organized in the provincial stadium in Daikundi province, in the center of Afghanistan, between two teams of girls and boys.
The bicycle competition was held to promote peace and harmony throughout the country.
There were ten females and ten boys on each of the two teams, and medals, clothing, and other items were given to the winners.
It is important to mention that the purpose of the event was to promote peace and support girls’ role in sports, said Mohammad Husain Sirat, the provincial director of information and culture.
Death Rate
The crude death rate was 0.42 (0.25-0.68) (95 percent CI) and the under-five death rate was 0.66 (0.29-1.51) respectively (95 percent CI). Both rates are below the SPHERE emergency levels.[Food Security Cluster (n.d.). Daykundi Province Fact Findings (Qualitative Assessment) Report. Afghanistan Food Security Cluster. Retrieved from
https://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/daykundi_facts_finding_assesment_reportfsac_inputs.pdf ]
See also
*Provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over 1,000 villages.
Provincial governors played a c ...
* Daikundi (Hazara tribe)
References
External links
* , April 6, 2018, TOLOnews
TOLOnews (Pashto/ Persian: ) is Afghanistan's first 24/7 news television channel, owned by MOBY Group, launched in August, 2010. Its sister channels are TOLO TV and Lemar TV in Afghanistan.
The channel is available on terrestrial across Afghanis ...
.
* , May 25, 2016, United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies a ...
(UNFPA).
* , December 26, 2011, TOLOnews/USAIDAfghanistan.
Video: B-Roll, Daykundi Province Handover to GIRoA
by Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), formerly the "Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System," is an operation supported by the Defense Media Activity (DMA). It provides a connection between world media and the American ...
{{Authority control
Hazarajat
Provinces of Afghanistan
States and territories established in 2004
Provinces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan