Taliban Launch Housing Project for Returnees in Bamiyan Amid Concerns Over Fairness

The Taliban administration has announced the start of a residential township project for migrants and returnees in Bamiyan province, though concerns remain over transparency and fairness in the allocation of housing plots.

At the inauguration ceremony, Mawlawi Najibullah Hayat Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting minister of urban development and housing, claimed that the township plan was designed according to urban planning principles and that plots would be distributed transparently to eligible returnees. He stressed that only those deemed qualified would benefit, insisting the process would reflect social justice.

Local officials said the project will allocate housing plots to 381 families across 420 jeribs of land. In addition, the Taliban announced that the NGO “ARO” has begun constructing 30 shelters for some returnees.

However, past experiences with similar programs raise doubts. Independent reports indicate that oversight and accountability have been inconsistent, often marred by favoritism and lack of proper monitoring. With hundreds of thousands of Afghan families returning after years abroad, many still face the absence of basic services, inadequate shelter, and weak institutional support. Observers warn that without independent oversight and adherence to humanitarian standards, the project risks reinforcing discrimination and misuse under the guise of reconstruction.