When the Taliban returned to power in Kabul three years ago, they promised to modernize Afghanistan’s capital. They launched a massive redevelopment program to reshape the city. However, new research reveals that this so-called “regeneration” has caused widespread suffering, leaving thousands of people homeless. Many of those affected are from vulnerable communities, with shocking reports of homes being demolished while families, including children, were still inside.
Satellite images, videos from social media, and interviews with Afghan residents paint a disturbing picture of the Taliban’s plans for Kabul. The investigation of the Afghan Witness project, and other local news outlets, shows the scale and consequences of this development effort. It offers a clear look at the cost of the Taliban’s modernization plans.
The findings are alarming. From August 2021 to August 2024, the Taliban destroyed over 1.5 square kilometers (about 385 acres) of land in Kabul. This is roughly the size of 220 football fields. Many of these demolitions targeted informal settlements, home to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the city. Satellite images reveal how entire neighborhoods in Kabul were cleared, some of them in just a few months.
In January 2024, the demolition of an informal settlement in District 8 of Kabul was captured by satellite images. By June 2024, the area was entirely gone. This pattern is seen in several parts of the city. The demolitions are not random. The analysis found that some of the most affected areas are those where minority ethnic groups live. Three of the worst-hit districts have large populations of the Hazara community, and two others are predominantly Tajik.
The destruction isn’t just about land clearance. It’s also about forced displacement. The people who lived in these informal settlements were often displaced by war or climate change. Many were already struggling to survive. Yet, the Taliban’s redevelopment drive has made their lives even harder. The razing of these slums has been brutal. In several cases, families reported that people, including children, were killed when their homes were destroyed.
In one tragic case, residents of Kabul’s District 22 reported that a four-year-old and a 15-year-old child died when their home was demolished. “Women, children, and the elderly were begging for them to stop the destruction,” said a resident, “but they didn’t listen.” The demolitions took place in the summer heat, and many families found themselves without shelter. One woman claimed that her niece died from exposure after their home was destroyed.
In other areas, those who tried to film the demolitions were reportedly beaten by the Taliban. In August 2024, the Taliban shared photos of bulldozers demolishing houses, boasting about their efforts to “clear” the land. The residents described scenes of panic and confusion as their homes were reduced to rubble. One person said it felt like the aftermath of an earthquake. “All our belongings were buried under the rubble,” they recalled.
Many families have been left with nothing. One man, who lived in a settlement with nearly 50 relatives, said he could no longer afford rent after his home was demolished. He now sleeps in an abandoned factory. “We don’t even have tents,” he said. “We just have plastic sheets to sleep under. Sometimes, we don’t even have food to eat.”
A lot of the demolitions are tied to infrastructure projects. The Taliban says they are widening roads and improving the city’s mobility. But urban planners, including Fakhrullah Sarwari, argue that these projects were part of previous government plans, which could not be carried out because they lacked the authority to force people to move. Sarwari said that wider roads alone do not solve the deeper problems of poverty and displacement.
Human rights groups are especially concerned about women. After being evicted, many women face an increased risk of violence. One woman, whose home was destroyed in northern Kabul, explained how she struggled to make ends meet. She earned only a few dollars a day doing cleaning work, but since the demolition, she has not been compensated. Furthermore, the Taliban’s rules prevent her from entering Kabul’s municipal offices without a male guardian. This further limits her ability to seek help.
Another woman, whose house was demolished in the same area, said she could no longer work due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women. Her family now survives on her husband’s modest income from repairing shoes. She, too, hasn’t received any compensation.
Out of a dozen families interviewed for this investigation, only one has found permanent housing since their eviction. Fear of retribution has kept many from protesting. The demolitions have taken place just months after the United Nations warned that Afghanistan’s economy was collapsing. The country is grappling with widespread hunger, and millions of people are displaced within Afghanistan itself.
In one of the most heartbreaking stories, a woman whose family home of 40 years was demolished in August 2023 said, “At first, they promised to compensate us. But once the house was gone, no one cared.” Her family can no longer afford to travel to the municipal offices to ask for help.
The Taliban has not commented on the findings of this investigation. They have justified the destruction of informal settlements by claiming that the land was “stolen” by “opportunists” and “usurpers.” They also say that land is cleared for infrastructure projects.