Baharak District is a district of Takhar Province, Afghanistan. The district was split-off from Taluqan District in 2005.[6] Most people work in agriculture. The district has been the site of fighting between the Afghan Government and the Taliban; Baharak was considered to be contested in late 2018 and taken by the Taliban by August 2021.[7][8]
Geography
Map of Takhar Province
Baharak has an area of 231 square kilometers, comparatively equivalent to the area of São Vicente.[9] There are secondary roads that connect the district to the provincial capital, Taloqan, and a smaller road connecting the district with Khwaja Ghar District. It is 15 kilometers away from Taloqan.[3]
Baharak has a population of 34339 and a sex ratio of 101 males for every 100 females. Most of the district is made up of Uzbeks, with Pashtun, Tajik, and Hazara minorities.[1] The median age is 16.6 and 57.6% of the population is unemployed. 13% of the unemployed are seeking work. Baharak has about 4800 households, with an average size of 7.1 people.[12]
Economy
Close to half of employed people in Baharak work in agriculture, forestry, or fishing.[12] Wheat and rice are the main crops, with barley, sorghum, sesame, corn, cotton, and melon also being grown.[3] However, there is a lack of seeds, machinery, cold storages, and fertilizer.[2] There used to be livestock, but much was lost because of war and drought.[1]
Handicraft is another trade present in Baharak.[2]
Education and healthcare
Baharak has a 35% literacy rate among people ages 15–24.[12] There is one madrasa, two high schools, and several primary schools in the district. The education situation has been improving- in 2002 there were only a handful of schools.[1] However, there is a lack of teachers, supplies, and anti-government opposition to schools.
There are two health centers in Baharak: one by the district center and another by the village of Qara Kamar.[10] There is also an ambulance to transport patients to Taloqan if needed. Tuberculosis and malaria remain an issue.[1][3] Baharak suffers from a lack of medical knowledge, money, doctors, and medical equipment.[2]
^ ab"Takhar Province Reference Map". humanitarianresponse.info. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2020.