Spera District

Spera District is situated in the most southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan. It borders with Paktia Province to the south and west, Shamal District to the north. The district is within the heartland of the Zadran tribe of Pashtuns.^[1] To the east it borders Nadir Shah Kot and Tani districts as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The population of Spera District is around 21,500 people. The district center is the village of Spera, situated in the central part of the district.

Map of Khost Province with Spera district appearing in light bluish in the lower left corner

History

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.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Spera was one of the districts most affected by the 2022 Afghanistan earthquake. Approximately 500 homes were destroyed, and 40 people were killed, with 95 others injured in the district.^[7][8] Many houses constructed primarily of mud and wood were razed to the ground.^[7] Heavy rain and the earthquake contributed to landslides that destroyed entire hamlets.^[9]

Construction of new earthquake-resistant houses

In August 2022, new "earthquake-resistant houses" began to be constructed in the district for victims of the earthquake.^[10] The project involves the establishment of 300 houses here and 2,000 homes in both the Gayan and Barmal districts of neighboring Paktika Province.^[10]

References

1. Khost Province Tribal Map (Page 16). Naval Postgraduate School.
2. "At least 47 dead in Afghanistan after Pakistan attacks: Officials". Al Jazeera. April 17, 2022.
3. Mal, Qazafi (April 16, 2022). "Casualties as Pakistan pounds civilian homes in Khost, Kunar" – via pajhwok.com.
4. "Pakistani rocket fire kills 45 Afghans, say Taliban". Daily Sabah. April 16, 2022.
5. "په خوست کې د پاکستاني الوتکو بمبارۍ درنه مرګ ژوبله اړولې". Deutsche Welle (in Pashto). April 16, 2022.
6. "Witnesses Say Dozens Killed In Pakistani Air Strikes On Eastern Afghanistan Region". RFE/RL. April 16, 2022.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. "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.
10. "2,300 'Earthquake-Resilient' Houses to Be Built in Quake-Hit Regions of Afghanistan: UNHCR". The Khaama Press. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.

External links

• AIMS District Map