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European Asylum Support Office
EASO Country of Origin
Information Report
Afghanistan

Key socio-economic indicators,
state protection, and mobility in
Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and
Herat City
August 2017
SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

European Asylum Support Office
EASO
EASO Country of Origin
Information Report
Afghanistan
Key socio-economic indicators,
state protection, and mobility in
Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and
Herat City
August 2017
SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION
Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers
to your questions about the European Union.
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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2017
More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).
Print ISBN 978-92-9494-610-2 doi:10.2847/106463 BZ-02-17-757-EN-C
PDF ISBN 978-92-9494-611-9 doi:10.2847/270432 BZ-02-17-757-EN-N
© European Asylum Support Office, 2017
Cover photo: © ILO (Flickr) Day Labourers in Afghanistan. A group of young Afghan men
are looking for work in Kabul.
Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained herein.
EASO Country of Origin Information Report: Afghanistan – Key socio-economic indicators, state protection, and mobility in Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat City — 3
Acknowledgments
EASO would like to acknowledge the Polish Office for Foreigners, Department for Refugees Procedures (Country of
Origin Information Unit) as the co-author of this report.
The following departments reviewed this report:
Belgium, Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Cedoca (Centre for
Documentation and Research)
Finnish Immigration Service – Legal Service and Country Information Unit
Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalization Service – Office of Country Information and Language Analysis
Swedish Migration Agency, Lifos – Centre for Country of Origin Information and Analysis
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), RSD Section
Furthermore, the content of this report was reviewed by:
Antonio Giustozzi - independent researcher, visiting professor at King’s College London and author of several
articles, papers and books on Afghanistan.
Samuel Hall Consulting - an independent think tank providing research and strategic services, expert analysis,
tailored counsel and access to local knowledge for a diverse array of actors operating in the world’s most
challenging environments.
Asylum Research Consultancy – a consulting group that that provides country specific and thematic COI research
for UNHCR, publishes commentaries on COI reports, and undertakes research consultancy, project management
and training to the asylum, immigration and human rights sector both in the UK and internationally.
It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations contributes
to the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal endorsement of the final report,
which is the full responsibility of EASO.

EASO Country of Origin Information Report: Afghanistan – Key socio-economic indicators, state protection, and mobility in Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat City — 5
Contents
Acknowledgments �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3
Disclaimer ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9
Glossary and Abbreviations �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11
Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15
Map of Afghanistan �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������16
1. Background information on Kabul City, Herat City and Mazar-e Sharif ������������������������������������������������������17
1.1. Kabul City ....................................................................................................................................................17
1.2. Herat City ....................................................................................................................................................17
1.3. Mazar-e Sharif ............................................................................................................................................18
2. Key socio-economic indicators �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19
2.1. Economic growth .......................................................................................................................................19
2.1.1. Development aid .............................................................................................................................20
2.1.2. Business climate ..............................................................................................................................20
2.2. Employment ..............................................................................................................................................21
2.2.1. Unemployment ...............................................................................................................................21
2.2.2. Employment in certain sectors ......................................................................................................22
2.2.3. IDPs and returnees .........................................................................................................................24
2.2.4. Urban employment for women ......................................................................................................25
2.2.5. Kabul ................................................................................................................................................28
2.2.6. Herat................................................................................................................................................28
2.2.7. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................30
2.3. Poverty ......................................................................................................................................................31
2.3.1. General trends ................................................................................................................................31
2.3.2. Urban poverty .................................................................................................................................32
2.3.3. Reasons for the rise in poverty .......................................................................................................33
2.3.4. Women headed households ...........................................................................................................34
2.3.5. The consequences of displacement ...............................................................................................38
2.3.6. Kabul ................................................................................................................................................40
2.3.7. Herat................................................................................................................................................41
2.3.8. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................42
2.4. Food security ..............................................................................................................................................42
2.4.1. IDPs & returnees .............................................................................................................................43
2.4.2. Kabul ................................................................................................................................................43
2.4.3. Herat ...............................................................................................................................................44
2.4.4. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................44
2.5. Education ....................................................................................................................................................44
2.5.1. IDPs & returnees .............................................................................................................................46
2.5.2. Kabul ...............................................................................................................................................46
2.5.3. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................47
2.5.4. Herat................................................................................................................................................48
6 — EASO Country of Origin Information Report: Afghanistan – Key socio-economic indicators, state protection, and mobility in Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat City
2.6. Health care .................................................................................................................................................49
2.6.1. Basic data() ......................................................................................................................................49
2.6.2. Afghanistan health status ..............................................................................................................49
2.6.3. Access ..............................................................................................................................................51
2.6.4. Consequences of displacement ......................................................................................................52
2.6.5. Access to mental health care ..........................................................................................................53
2.6.6. Access to maternal health care .......................................................................................................54
2.6.7. Availability of medicines .................................................................................................................55
2.6.8. Kabul ...............................................................................................................................................56
2.6.9. Herat ...............................................................................................................................................57
2.6.10. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................58
2.7. Housing and living conditions ....................................................................................................................58
2.7.1. Urbanisation ...................................................................................................................................58
2.7.2. Land, property & inheritance law ..................................................................................................59
2.7.3. Living conditions .............................................................................................................................60
2.7.4. Kabul ...............................................................................................................................................61
2.7.5. Herat................................................................................................................................................63
2.7.6. Mazar-e Sharif .................................................................................................................................64
2.8. Coping strategies and support network ....................................................................................................65
2.8.1. Network as social protection ..........................................................................................................65
2.8.2. Network as key to the job market ..................................................................................................67
2.8.3. Social networks and women: protection and oppression ............................................................69
3. Actors of protection �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������71
3.1. Security context .........................................................................................................................................71
3.1.1. International drawdown .................................................................................................................71
3.1.2. Population fear for personal safety ................................................................................................72
3.2. Afghan National Army (ANA) .....................................................................................................................72
3.3. National Directorate of Security (NDS) ......................................................................................................74
3.3.1. Mandate, structure and capacity ...................................................................................................74
3.3.2. Effectiveness ...................................................................................................................................75
3.3.3. Integrity ...........................................................................................................................................75
3.4. Afghan National Police (ANP) .....................................................................................................................76
3.4.1. Mandate and structure ..................................................................................................................76
3.4.2. Capacity ...........................................................................................................................................77
3.4.3. Access and effectiveness ................................................................................................................78
3.4.4. Integrity ...........................................................................................................................................79
3.4.5. Kabul city ANP ................................................................................................................................82
3.4.6. Herat city ANP .................................................................................................................................85
3.4.7. Mazar-e Sharif ANP .........................................................................................................................89
3.5. Formal justice system ................................................................................................................................91
3.5.1. Structure .........................................................................................................................................91
3.5.2. Capacity ..........................................................................................................................................92
3.5.3. Access and effectiveness ...............................................................................................................93
3.5.4. Integrity ...........................................................................................................................................95
3.5.5. Security problems for the justice sector ........................................................................................95
3.5.6. Intersections with customary justice and informal dispute resolution .........................................96
EASO Country of Origin Information Report: Afghanistan – Key socio-economic indicators, state protection, and mobility in Kabul City, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat City — 7
3.5.7. Kabul city ........................................................................................................................................97
3.5.8. Herat city ........................................................................................................................................98
3.5.9. Mazar-e Sharif ................................................................................................................................99
3.6. Anti-corruption efforts and mechanisms to report misconduct ............................................................100
3.6.1. Reporting corruption and misconduct by officials and police .....................................................100
3.6.2. Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC) and Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) .............................102
3.7. Experiences of displaced people and returnees .....................................................................................103
3.7.1. Networks of protection ................................................................................................................103
3.7.2. Forced evictions ............................................................................................................................103
3.7.3. Police response to problems inside IDP areas ..............................................................................105
3.8. Women’s access to justice and protection ..............................................................................................106
3.8.1. Legal framework ...........................................................................................................................106
3.8.2. Judiciary ........................................................................................................................................107
3.8.3. Female participation in the ANA and ANP....................................................................................109
3.8.4. Women’s trust in police and judiciary ..........................................................................................109
3.8.5. Family Response Units of the Ministry of Interior / ANP (FRU) ....................................................111
3.8.6. Women’s Protection Centres .......................................................................................................112
3.8.7. Family Protection Centres ............................................................................................................113
3.8.8. Family Guiding/Guidance Centres ...............................................................................................113
3.9. Experiences of ethnic minorities ..............................................................................................................113
4 Children ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������115
4.1. General consideration ..............................................................................................................................115
4.2. IDP & returnee children ...........................................................................................................................116
4.3. Children – state protection ......................................................................................................................116
4.3.1. Orphans and other vulnerable children – social support .............................................................118
4.3.2. Child Labour ..................................................................................................................................118
4.3.3. Children - other issues ..................................................................................................................119
4.4. Children – daily life in big cities ................................................................................................................121
4.4.4. Kabul .............................................................................................................................................121
4.4.5. Herat .............................................................................................................................................121
4.4.6. Mazar-e Sharif ...............................................................................................................................121
5. Travel into the cities ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������123
5.1. Restrictions on internal travel to Kabul city, Herat city, and Mazar-e Sharif ..........................................123
5.2. Documents required for travel and entry into Herat City, Mazar, Kabul City .........................................124
5.2.1. Obtaining civil documentation for women ..................................................................................125
5.3. International and domestic flight connections........................................................................................125
5.3.1. Kabul ..............................................................................................................................................126
5.3.2. Herat (HEA) ...................................................................................................................................127
5.3.3. Mazar-e Sharif (MZR) ....................................................................................................................128
5.4. Roadway security from airports to city centres ......................................................................................129
5.5. Freedom of movement for women .........................................................................................................130
5.6. Afghan women traveling alone by air ......................................................................................................131
Bibliography ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������132
Terms of Reference �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������157