A Cry for Basic Services in Herat’s Gulran District

I recently read about the people of Gulran district in Herat, and honestly, it broke my heart. Residents of Herat’s Gulran district struggle with lack of basic services — no schools, no hospitals, no clean drinking water, and no paved roads.

One resident named Mohammad Qasim said that sick people often die before reaching a hospital because the roads are so bad. Another resident, Ahmad Mahmoudi, told reporters that children walk three to four kilometers just to fetch clean water for their families.

It’s 2026, and yet in this remote corner of Afghanistan, people are living like it’s a century ago. The Afghan Red Crescent Society has tried to help — they built 60 homes for earthquake victims and started a water project. But these efforts are just drops in an ocean of need.

If you read reports from TOLOnews, you’ll see that Gulran is not alone. Millions of Afghans in rural areas face the same crisis.

I believe the international community and Afghan authorities must pay serious attention to these issues. Because when basic services disappear, hope disappears too. And without hope, no community can survive. Read More about this in my latest article Here.