Bamyan Province is Safe Yet Vulnerable

Ruins in Bamyan province, Afghanistan
photo by SGT Christopher Bonebrake

The New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) mission will soon come to an end in Bamyan province, Afghanistan. While the province enjoys relative peace and safety when compared to other provinces in Afghanistan there is still cause for concern about the future. The province is poor and isolated in high mountains and although not far in miles from Kabul it seems to be remote in terms of services, aid, and in the number of Afghan security forces that are deployed there. Read more in "Bamyan: A province in the eye of a storm", DVIDS, March 8, 2013.

New Zealand PRT in Bamyan Province

New Zealand Light Armored Vehicles travel through  a Bamyan
 mountain pass in Feb 2013. (photo by SGT Chris Bonebrake)

The New Zealand PRT located in Bamyan province, Afghanistan has the good fortune to be in one of the more beautiful regions of Afghanistan. Bamyam is located in the center mountainous region of Afghanistan and for a long time has been considered a very secure province. It does have some security concerns in some of the districts. The NZ PRT is tasked with maintaining security in Bamyan province. The PRT conducts presence patrols, provides advice and assistance to the Provincial Governor, the district sub-governors, and the Afghan National Police (ANP). In addition, the NZ PRT oversees aid projects which provide services and employment in the region. Learn more about the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team at the link below found at the New Zealand Defence Force website.

www.nzdf.mil.nz/operations/overseas-deployments/afghanistan/nz-prt/default.htm