Kunar Residents Search for Gold in Riverbeds to Sustain Livelihoods

With limited job opportunities in Afghanistan, hundreds of residents in Kunar province are searching for gold particles in riverbeds and mountainous areas near Pakistan using traditional methods.

The process involves digging dry riverbeds to wash gravel or transporting mountain soil to be sieved for the extraction of small gold particles.

Shahzade Gola, a 50-year-old father of eight who previously worked as a construction laborer, said the scarcity of jobs forces people to create their own sources of income. "The obtained gold is often smaller than a grain of wheat," he stated.

Successful workers can obtain up to one gram of gold per week, worth about 8,000 afghanis.

Local officials note that such gold searching activities have been ongoing for years, traditionally engaging thousands in the sector. However, they have raised concerns about the environmental damage caused by the use of heavy machinery in these activities.

Mining has become one of the key economic pillars for Afghanistan, yet many of its citizens continue to rely on these primitive methods of river gold searching to sustain their livelihoods.