Dara-I-Pech District
Encyclopedia
Dara-I-Pech District is located western-central part of Kunar Province
, Afghanistan
, 30 km West from Asadabad
. The population is 48,400 (2006). The district is governed from Mano Gai
. The governor is Mohammad Rahkman.
While the bulk of the population is Safi Pashtun, who are mostly settled along the Pech River, the district also includes the Pashai
-speaking Korengalis in the southern portion of the Korengal Valley.
There are several large capillary valleys, such as the Korengal and Shuryak. There are 13 big villages and most of them are in the valleys of the mountainous district. There has been a timber market. People are generally poor. Farming and animal husbandry are the main sources of income. Health care and education need improvement.
Nangalam, at the junction of the Pech and Waygal Rivers, is the largest town in the district. Formerly inhabited by speakers of a Pech Valley Dardic (Indic) language called Nangalami, the village was destroyed by Communist Afghan troops in 1978. When it was rebuilt, the inhabitants were predominantly Safi Pashtuns. The major coalition base of Camp Blessing is located near Nangalam to the west.
In 1999 the area was affected by extensive fires which burned through thousands of acres of forest in the Dara Pech Valley, displacing some 300 people and the Taliban in power at the time appealed to the UN for assistance.
On 13 November, 2003, an explosive device was detonated in a bus in the area, killing four people, two of them children.
The Korengal Valley has been the scene of sustained fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents. The New York Times magazine ran a story by contributing writer Elizabeth Rubin entitled Battle Company Is Out There on Feb. 24, 2008.
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, 30 km West from Asadabad
Asadabad
Asadabad may refer to:* Asadabad, Afghanistan, capital of Kunar Province* Asadabad District, district of Kunar Province, Afghanistan* Asadabad, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan* Əsədabad, Azerbaijan* Asadabad, Iran, in Hamadan Province...
. The population is 48,400 (2006). The district is governed from Mano Gai
Mano Gai
Mano Gai or Manogai or Manogay is a small town and capital of Dara-I-Pech District in Kunar Province, in eastern Afghanistan.It lies on the confluence of several rivers.In January 2006, the Taliban blew up a Coalition forces' vehicle in the area....
. The governor is Mohammad Rahkman.
While the bulk of the population is Safi Pashtun, who are mostly settled along the Pech River, the district also includes the Pashai
Pashayi language
Pashayi - also known as Pashai - is a language spoken by the Pashai people in parts of Kapisa, Laghman, Nuristan, Kunar, and Nangarhar Provinces in Northeastern Afghanistan....
-speaking Korengalis in the southern portion of the Korengal Valley.
There are several large capillary valleys, such as the Korengal and Shuryak. There are 13 big villages and most of them are in the valleys of the mountainous district. There has been a timber market. People are generally poor. Farming and animal husbandry are the main sources of income. Health care and education need improvement.
Nangalam, at the junction of the Pech and Waygal Rivers, is the largest town in the district. Formerly inhabited by speakers of a Pech Valley Dardic (Indic) language called Nangalami, the village was destroyed by Communist Afghan troops in 1978. When it was rebuilt, the inhabitants were predominantly Safi Pashtuns. The major coalition base of Camp Blessing is located near Nangalam to the west.
In 1999 the area was affected by extensive fires which burned through thousands of acres of forest in the Dara Pech Valley, displacing some 300 people and the Taliban in power at the time appealed to the UN for assistance.
On 13 November, 2003, an explosive device was detonated in a bus in the area, killing four people, two of them children.
The Korengal Valley has been the scene of sustained fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents. The New York Times magazine ran a story by contributing writer Elizabeth Rubin entitled Battle Company Is Out There on Feb. 24, 2008.