Khost Province
Khost | |
---|---|
Coordinates (Capital): 33°24′N 69°54′E / 33.4°N 69.9°E | |
Country | Afghanistan |
Established | 1986[1] (de facto) |
Pashto | |
HDI (2019) | 0.506[6] low · 3rd |
Khost (Pashto/Dari: خوست) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the southeastern part of the country. Khost consists of thirteen districts and the city of Khost serves as the capital of the province. Historically, Khost used to be a part of Paktia and a larger region surrounding Khost is still referred to as Loya Paktia.
Throughout history, the province has been the site for numerous rebellions, leading to the local Pashtun populace to consider themselves the “traditional king-makers in Kabul”.[7] The province was previously known as the Southern province and was united with the neighbouring Paktia province. Khost is also home to numerous universities, including Shaikh Zayed University, which is the only university in Afghanistan with a faculty in computer science.[8]
As of 2021, it was estimated that the population of the province stood at 647,730, which makes it the 16th most populated province in Afghanistan.[5]
Khost International Airport began providing the province with international flights after it was inaugurated by the former president Ashraf Ghani on July 10, 2021.[9]
To the east, Khost Province is bordered by the
History
Second Anglo-Afghan War
During the second Anglo-Afghan War, British forces led by Lord Roberts entered the province. Approximately 8,000 raiders from the Mangal tribe, which had a long tradition of resisting outside control, launched several attacks on weakly protected British supply convoys in Khost Province. In reprisal, Lord Roberts ordered his forces to attack eleven Mangal villages which had launched raids that murdered several camp followers, resulting in them being sacked and burnt. As the news of the reprisals spread over Britain, his political opponents in the British parliament criticized Lord Robert's actions. At the end of the conflict, British forces withdrew from the province.[10][11]
Khost rebellion (1924–1925)
The
Soviet–Afghan War
In April 1978, the
At the end of July 1983, the forces of
Khost was considered a "bastion of the regime" during the Soviet–Afghan War and its loyalty to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan allowed it to be granted a de facto provincial status in 1986. This provided the province with a force of paid provincial staff and an annual budget that was separate from the neighbouring provinces.[19]
1993-present
Khost Province saw the Battles of Zhawar and part of Operation Infinite Reach. Khost Province was captured by the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive on August 15, 2021.[20]
On 16 April 2022, Pakistani airstrikes targeted several villages in Spera District, including Afghan-Dubai, Pasa Mela, Mir Sapar, Mandata, and Kanai, and struck refugee camps belonging to internally displaced persons from Waziristan, killing at least 41 people, mainly women and children, and wounding 22 others.[21][22][23][24][25]
On 22 June 2022, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the province. In Spera District, approximately 500 homes were destroyed, and 40 people were killed, with 95 others injured.[26][27] Many houses constructed primarily of mud and wood were razed to the ground.[26] Heavy rain and the earthquake contributed to landslides that destroyed entire hamlets.[28]
Healthcare
The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 34% in 2005 to 35% in 2011.[29] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 18% in 2005 to 32% in 2011.[29]
Education
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) fell from 28% in 2005 to 15% in 2011.[29] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) fell from 38% in 2005 to 37% in 2011.[29]
Universities
There are multiple universities in Khost, the following list consists of all of the universities that can be found in the province:
- Shaikh Zayed University - Initially opened in Peshawar, Pakistan in 2000, the university was moved to Khost on orders of the former president Hamid Karzai. The university bears the name of the first president of the United Arab Emirates, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who sponsored the construction of its campus in Khost.[citation needed]
- Pamir University - Situated in the capital of Khost province, the university is a private higher education institute which was inaugurated on April 24, 2011.
- Hara University - Private university that’s also situated in the city of Khost.
Demographics
As of 2021, the population of the province is around 950,000 people.[5][30] Other sources put the number at over a million.[31]
The
Districts of Khost:
District | Capital | Population | Area in km2 |
Pop. density |
Ethnic groups |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bak | 24,977 | 139 | 180 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Gurbuz | 29,627 | 379 | 78 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Jaji Maydan |
27,236 | 331 | 82 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Khost |
Khost | 156,106 | 418 | 373 | Predominantly Pashtun, few Tajiks. |
Mandozayi | 63,772 | 128 | 498 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Musa Khel | 46,368 | 470 | 99 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Nadir Shah Kot | 36,005 | 381 | 94 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Qalandar | 11,559 | 100 | 116 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Sabari | 80,114 | 259 | 310 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Shamal | 15,411 | 169 | 91 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Spera | 27,501 | 499 | 55 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Tani | 67,360 | 410 | 164 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Tirazayi | 50,486 | 427 | 118 | >99% Pashtun. | |
Khost | 636,522 | 4,235 | 150 | 99.8% Pashtuns, 0.2% Tajiks.[note 1] |
- ^ Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.
Water
Khost Province is traversed by the
Gallery
-
Khost, the capital of Khost province
-
Children in Khost
See also
- Battle for Hill 3234
- Forward Operating Base Chapman attack
- Forward Operating Base Salerno
References
- ^ "The Ghost of Khost: What History Might Tell Us about the Future of Afghanistan > Air University (AU) > Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs Article Display". www.airuniversity.af.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "Taliban appoints former Guantanamo Bay detainee released under Obama to leadership post in Afghanistan". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "له پاکستانه د خوراکي توکو او درملو مرسته خوست ته ورسېده". مشال راډيو. 11 September 2021.
- ^ "خوست کې د بېلابېلو جرمونو په تور ۲۴ کسان نيول شوي". December 6, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). nsia.gov.af. National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org.
- ISBN 9780231701129.
- ^ "History of Computer science Faculty | SZU University". www.szu.edu.af. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ Kakar, Javed Hamim (2021-07-10). "Ghani inaugurates Khost International Airport". Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ "The Ghost of Khost: What History Might Tell Us about the Future of Afghanistan > Air University (AU) > Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs Article Display". www.airuniversity.af.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ISBN 9780752492551.
- ISBN 9781789140101.
- ISBN 9781789140101.
- ISBN 9781610394123.
- ISBN 978-0521397001.
- ISBN 978-0521397001.
- ISBN 978-0521397001.
- ISBN 978-0521397001.
- ^ "The Ghost of Khost: What History Might Tell Us about the Future of Afghanistan > Air University (AU) > Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs Article Display". www.airuniversity.af.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ "The Latest: Militants take provincial capital of Khost". The Independent. 2021-08-15. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ "At least 47 dead in Afghanistan after Pakistan attacks: Officials". Al Jazeera. April 17, 2022.
- ^ Mal, Qazafi (April 16, 2022). "Casualties as Pakistan pounds civilian homes in Khost, Kunar" – via pajhwok.com.
- ^ "Pakistani rocket fire kills 45 Afghans, say Taliban". Daily Sabah. April 16, 2022.
- ^ "په خوست کې د پاکستاني الوتکو بمبارۍ درنه مرګ ژوبله اړولې". Deutsche Welle (in Pashto). April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Witnesses Say Dozens Killed In Pakistani Air Strikes On Eastern Afghanistan Region". RFE/RL. April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Padshah, Safiullah; Ives, Mike (22 June 2022). "Afghanistan Live Updates: At Least 1,000 Killed in Earthquake, Official Media Says: The quake struck 28 miles southwest of the provincial capital of Khost". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Mangal, Farooq Jan (23 June 2022). "Afghanistan earthquake survivors dig by hand as aid is delayed". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Thousands of Afghanistan earthquake survivors remain without food and shelter despite aid coming in". The New Arab. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d Archive, Civil Military Fusion Centre, https://www.cimicweb.org/AfghanistanProvincialMap/Pages/Khost.aspx Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Settled Population of Khost province by Civil Division, Urban, Rural and Sex-2012-13" (PDF). Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Central Statistics Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- YouTube, Feb 13, 2012, TOLO/USAIDAfghanistan.
- ^ "Khost Province" (PDF). Program for Culture & Conflict Studies. Naval Postgraduate School. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ Imperial gazetteer of India: provincial series, Volume 20. Publisher Supt. of Govt. Print., 1908
- Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire, by ISBN 0-8050-6239-4
- "Ghost Wars"
External links
- Travel on YouTube, November 12, 2015, Shamshad TV.
- On the Road - Khost Province Season 1 (Pashto) on YouTube, Feb 13, 2012, TOLO/USAIDAfghanistan.
- Khost Province by the Naval Postgraduate School
- Khost Province by the Institute for the Study of War