Announcement

New Bridge Links Four Villages in Nangarhar

Suliman Valley residents residents gain access to schools, medical clinics, and markets

Jalalabad, Afghanistan  | Thursday, April 30, 2009

Photo: USAID/PRT Jalalabad

A new bridge provides four villages in Nangarhar with increased access to schools, medical facilities, and markets.

A new USAID-funded suspension bridge now connects four remote villages in Nangarhar’s Suliman Valley, easing residents’ access to essential services such as schools, medical clinics, and markets.  Prior to the construction of the bridge, travel between the villages was challenging and time consuming, and flooding often prevented residents from attending school or receiving medical help.

A village elder expressed his gratitude for the vastly improved access to schools and work.  He explained that before the bridge was built, children could not attend school during flooding months, and residents required hours to get to Jalalabad to work.  A resident of Tora Bora also thanked USAID and the Afghan government for the bridge and noted that his trust in the government had grown as a result of its construction.  “We thought we were ignored by the local government in the past,” he said.  “But now when I see the bridge, I realize that the government is committed to development in our area.”