Italian organization builds homes for Bamyan cave dwellers

The Taliban governor’s office in Bamyan province announced an Italian organization, along with the University of Florence, will build 100 houses for cave dwellers.

Annie Bali, head of the Italian organization Vento, declared during a meeting with Bamyan Governor Abdullah Sarhadi on May 22 that construction of the houses would commence shortly.

Mr. Bali, along with Professor Dali, president of the University of Florence, mentioned that the construction cost for these houses would be $300,000. He also noted that the houses would be built in a modern style.

According to the report the impoverished and needy families in Bamyan, numbering in the tens, are living in caves due to lack of proper housing; caves that are now considered historical structures.

This comes amidst previous reports of forced displacement of cave dwellers by the Taliban.

UNHCR announced plans to construct a housing complex for 144 cave-dwelling families in Bamyan City. The foundation was laid on May 2, 2023, with the presence of Gillian Triggs, UNHCR’s Deputy High Commissioner.

Mohammad Ashraf Niazi, the UNHCR provincial director in Bamyan, stated that the township would cover 60 acres and offer all urban amenities.

The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, under the previous government, announced in 2017 that Bamyan Province’s master plan was being developed with the assistance of Italian experts from Florence University.

During their previous rule, the Taliban demolished the colossal clay statues and the Bamyan Buddha, which had stood for over a thousand years above the valley. The niches inside these statues, cave paintings, and other remnants still hold their global significance.

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