Summary
In eastern Afghanistan, many men are searching for small gold particles along the Kunar river to earn money. This work provides an income in an area with few job options and low wages.
Key Facts
- Men in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border, dig dry riverbeds and wash rocks to find gold dust.
- The gold pieces they find are often very small, sometimes smaller than a grain of wheat.
- Workers use sieves and water to filter out gold from stones and sediment.
- Some miners say they can collect about 1 gram of gold per week, worth around $125.
- Gold panning in the region has been happening for over 10 years.
- Many miners left other jobs to work in gold panning due to limited job opportunities.
- The area is mountainous with cold snow-capped peaks still visible in April.
- Afghanistan’s mineral resources have not been fully developed because of years of conflict.
