The Mervi Turks of Herat (UNHCR, 1990)

The Mervi Turks of Herat

Zendajan is generally flat and covers the area from Puli Salar and Kagtan Khan villages in the west of Enjil woleswali, to Shada and Khumi Mako west of Ghorian woleswali. This woleswali is bounded to the west by Ghorian and Kohsan, to the north by Gulran and Kushk, the east by Enjil and the south by Adraskan. Previous government documents indicate the total areas as 1,833 sq km and the elevation at 900 m. The Islam Qala highway and the Hari Rud pass through it.

Previous government statistics indicated a total population of 27,884. Population concentrations are divided between the majority living in the southern area and those to the north of the Islam Qala―Herat road and the Chahel Dukhtaran mountains. The area to the north includes Asya Badak, Jagda, Gaza and Qasr-i-Shirin and their twenty villages.

During ten years of war most of those villages in the north were under pressure from the Soviets, who conducted frequent searches. This is the most deprived area in Zendajan. The villages to the south area now being looted by the militia. This has increased the atmosphere of insecurity, and this year when the cattle and harvests were looted, the people in some areas left. The number of refugees is estimated at 17 percent. Local prices are also high. The south of the district is relatively rich in irrigation and resources and there are refugees from Gulran and Kushk districts, the villages north of Chehel Dukhtaran, and Badghis and Faryab provinces. The Emirate gives assistance to these refugees in the form of wheat and money. These people are displaced due to poor agricultural resources in their areas and harassment by Government militia. UNHCR Sub-office, Quetta, has lists of the main villages within the woleswali with estimates of their current and pre-war populations.

Tribal relations here are not strong, and there is little discrimination along these lines. The principal ethnic group is Tajik, comprising 40 percent of the population. Pushtuns are represented by the Alizais (20 percent), Khogianis (10 percent), Achakzai and Barakzai (10 percent), and Popalzai (9 percent). The Marvi, Khwaja, Makoo, Baluch and Maleki ethnic groups make up the remaining.

In the south, the Hari Rud is the main water source, providing about 90 percent of the irrigation. The remainder of irrigation is provided by springs and karez. About 60 percent of the lands cultivated in 1979 are now cultivated. The heavy cold of last year seriously affected production. Most of the irrigation canals were filled during the war but the damage to the karez in the north of the woleswali is more serious.

Except for five main canals each irrigating many villages, the other villages draw water from the river by individual canals. The five main canals are:

-          The main irrigation canal is Zendajan Canal with a length of 30 km. It starts from the west of Sang Bast village and runs until Kamana village. Qala-i-Rig, Pupalzai, Mahala-i-Lengar, Mahala-i-Now, Mahala-i-Khwajaha and Qala-i-Now are irrigated by this canal.

-          The second main canal is the Shekiban canal of 15 km which irrigates Shekiban-i-Tajiki, Shekiban-i-Marvi and Qala-i-Jamal.

-          The third canal is the Mamizak canal with a 20 km length irrigating Mamizak, partly Shekiban and Sang Bast villages.

-          Ougha canal is 7 km and irrigates Ougha, Mahmoodabad and Qala-i-Nawak.

-          Shada canal is 12 km and irrigates Shada and Qala-i-Mammoorin.

During Daoud’s time a hospitable was constructed in the woleswali containing a building with three surgical facilities and wards for men and women with 22 beds. This building has been heavily damaged. Between January and October 1989 it was repaired by the Emirate and MSF (France).

There is a clinic in Shekiban village with one nurse.

UNHCR Background Report ― Herat Province (1990)