Hundreds of men in eastern Afghanistan are scouring riverbeds for tiny flecks of gold as they seek alternative sources of income in a country with limited employment opportunities, according to recent reports.

In Kunar province, along the rugged slopes of the Hindu Kush near Pakistan, groups of workers dig into the rocky bed of the Kunar River, sifting through stones and sediment in search of gold dust. 

The labour-intensive process involves excavating rocks from dry sections of the riverbed and washing them with water to separate out potential gold particles. In some areas, men carry heavy sacks of material down steep slopes before filtering it through sieves and pans. 

For many, the work is driven by economic necessity. One miner, a father of eight who left construction work in Kabul, said the lack of job opportunities had forced him to find income wherever possible. 

Despite the effort, returns are modest. Gold pieces are often “smaller than a grain of wheat,” though some workers report finding up to one gram in a week, which can fetch around 8,000 Afghanis (about $125). 

Gold panning in the region has been practiced for more than a decade, with techniques passed on from miners in other parts of the country. Local officials estimate that thousands of people are now engaged in the activity, which is permitted when done using traditional methods. 

Authorities have, however, faced pressure from residents to curb the use of heavy machinery in mining, citing concerns about environmental damage to rivers and surrounding mountains. 

Afghanistan’s mineral resources have long been underdeveloped due to decades of conflict, but interest in the sector has grown in recent years, with authorities promoting mining as a potential driver of economic activity.

Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, held talks with Norway’s newly appointed ambassador, Helene Sand Andresen, focusing on efforts to sustain dialogue on Afghanistan’s future, officials said.

According to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting centred on the current state of bilateral cooperation related to Afghanistan and underscored a shared commitment to maintaining regular engagement on the Afghan settlement process.

Andresen praised Uzbekistan’s role in promoting a coordinated regional approach to Afghanistan, highlighting Tashkent’s efforts to build consensus among neighbouring countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on Afghanistan’s economic recovery and discussed prospects for integrating the country into broader regional connectivity initiatives.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Kabul, Faisal bin Talq Al-Baqmi, discussed regional developments and recent talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan held in the Chinese city of Urumqi during a meeting on Wednesday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi briefed the Saudi ambassador on the recent negotiations with the Pakistani side in Urumqi and expressed hope that interpretative differences and minor technical issues would not hinder the progress of the negotiation process.

He described relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia as positive and voiced hope that ties between the two brotherly countries would further expand in the political, security, and economic fields.

The Saudi ambassador also said that political and security stability, as well as economic development in Afghanistan, are of great importance to his country, adding that Riyadh supports Afghanistan in these areas.