There are between 24 and 77 prisons in Afghanistan. [1] [2] [3] [4] As of 2023, the total number of prisoners in the country is approximately 14,000 of which up to 1,100 are females. [5] [6] The following is an incomplete list of prisons in Afghanistan:
| Prisons in Afghanistan | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prison | Status | Classification | Managed | Opened | Capacity | Location |
| Parwan Detention Facility | Operational | Maximum | Ministry of Defense | 2009 | ? | Bagram |
| Pul-e-Charkhi prison | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | 1970s | 5,000 | Kabul |
| Herat Prison [7] | Operational | Minimum [8] | Ministry of Interior | ? | 2,000 | Herat |
| Kandahar Prison [9] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | 1,900 [10] | Kandahar |
| Nangarhar Prison [11] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | 1,700 [12] | Jalalabad |
| Balkh Prison [13] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | ? | Mazar-i-Sharif [14] |
| Ghazni Prison [15] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | 500 [16] | Ghazni |
| Khost Prison [17] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | 500 | Khost |
| Kunduz Prison | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | Over 500 [18] | Kunduz |
| Helmand Prison [19] [20] | Operational | Minimum | Ministry of Interior | ? | ? | Lashkar Gah |
| Salt Pit | ? | ? | United States | ? | ? | ? |
| Dark prison | ? | ? | United States | ? | ? | ? |
| Total capacity | 20,000 [5] | (current) | ||||
The economy of Afghanistan is listed as 103rd in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity (PPP). With a population of nearly 40 million people, Afghanistan's GDP (PPP) stands at around $77 billion with an exchange rate of $20 billion (2020), and the GDP (PPP) per capita is about $2,000. Its total external debt is 1.4 billion as of 2022. The Afghan economy continues to improve due to the influx of expats, improvement of national infrastructure, establishment of more trade routes with neighboring and regional countries, and expansion of the nation's agriculture and mining sectors.
Transport in Afghanistan is done mostly by road, rail and air. Much of the nation's road network was built in the mid-20th century but left to ruin during the last two decades of that century due to war and political turmoil. Officials of the current Islamic Emirate have continued to improve the national highways, roads, and bridges. In 2008, there were about 700,000 vehicles registered in Kabul. At least 1,314 traffic collisions were reported in 2022.
Environmental issues in Afghanistan predate the political turmoil of the past few decades. Forests have been depleted by centuries of grazing and farming, practices which have only increased with modern population growth. In Afghanistan, environmental conservation and economic concerns are not at odds; with over 44% of the population dependent on herding or farming, the welfare of the environment is critical to the economic welfare of the people. In 2007, the World Health Organization released a report ranking Afghanistan as the lowest among non-African nations in deaths from environmental hazards.
Kunduz Airport is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz Province in Afghanistan. It is a domestic airport under the country's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), and serves the population of Kunduz Province. Security in and around the airport is provided by the Afghan National Security Forces.
The Sarposa Prison attack was a raid on the Sarposa Prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents on June 13, 2008. One of the largest attacks by Afghan insurgents, the raid freed 400-1000 prisoners. As of 2008, prison administration was overseen by Abdul Qabir.
Kandahar Central Jail, also known as Sarpuza Prison or Sarposa Prison, is a minimum security prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It has been historically used for the incarceration of common criminals of Kandahar Province. In the last two decades, the facility has also been used to hold up Taliban and other insurgents. The name "Sarpuza" is a historical neighborhood in the city of Kandahar. As of 2017, the prison has approximately 1,900 inmates, and its warden is Col. Abdul Wali Hesarak.
Energy in Afghanistan is provided by hydropower followed by fossil fuel and solar power. Currently, less than 50% of Afghanistan's population has access to electricity. This covers the major cities in the country. Many rural areas do not have access to adequate electricity but this should change after the major CASA-1000 project is completed.
Tourism in Afghanistan is regulated by the Ministry of Information and Culture. There are at least 350 tourism companies operating in Afghanistan. Tourism was at its peak before the 1978 Saur Revolution, which was followed by the decades of war. Between 2013 and 2016, Afghan embassies issued between 15,000 and 20,000 tourist visas annually.
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province is an affiliate of the Islamic State militant group active in South Asia and Central Asia. Some media sources also use the terms ISK, ISISK, ISKP, Daesh–Khorasan or Daesh–K in referring to the group. ISIS-K has been active in Afghanistan,Pakistan,Tajikistan,and Uzbekistan,where they claimed attacks. The ISIS-K and Taliban consider each other enemies.
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Afghanistan.
Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Afghanistan when its index case, in Herat, was confirmed on 24 February 2020.
This article documents the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan.
In a continuation of previous attacks by the Taliban in May and June, multiple clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban were reported. They carried out several attacks throughout Afghanistan, resulting in multiple fatalities on both sides. Both the Taliban and government forces have accused each other responsibility over the recent surge in violence across Afghanistan. The attacks come despite the signing of a peace deal with the U.S. in February that was intended to put an end to the war.
The August 2020 Afghanistan attacks were multiple attacks that occurred in August 2020. The attacks left at least 165 people dead, and another 177 were injured.
The September 2020 Afghanistan attacks were multiple attacks that occurred in September 2020. The attacks left at least 105 people dead and another 112 injured. 97 insurgents were also killed and another 58 were injured in these attacks.
War crimes in Afghanistan covers the period of conflict from 1979 to the present. Starting with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, 40 years of civil war in various forms has wracked Afghanistan. War crimes have been committed by all sides.
The Battle of Kandahar began on 9 July 2021, as Taliban insurgents assaulted the city to capture it from the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). After heavy fighting for weeks the city's defenses had started to dissolve in August. This allowed the Taliban to enter and overrun most of the city on 12 August 2021, including the Sarposa prison, which included the release of over 1,000 prisoners, and ultimately the capture of the city. However, the siege for the nearby airport continued, where government loyalists held out until being evacuated on 16 August.
Jalalabad Prison, also known as Jalalabad Central Jail, is a minimum security prison located in the downtown section of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Mawolavi Bilal Shahin serves as the head of the prison. According to him, there are 1,100 inmates in the prison as of February 2023. The prison has the capacity to house up to 1,700 inmates that have been arrested and convicted within the jurisdiction of Nangarhar Province.
