A carpet weaving center in Nahr-e-Shahi district of Balkh province has been established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at a cost of $350,000.

The Deputy Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, at the opening ceremony of this center, said that two hundred returnees from neighboring countries will be employed.

Abdul Rahman Rashid, the deputy minister of Refugees and Repatriation, said: "Carpet weavers here will both weave carpets and learn a profession. We have set up similar centers for refugees in other places so they can learn a skill and earn a lawful livelihood."

Asadullah Wafa, head of the Refugees and Repatriation Department in Balkh, said: "This center, which was inaugurated today, can provide work for approximately one hundred men and one hundred women and girls."

Residents of the Qlin Bafan village in Nahr-e-Shahi district of Balkh province, while expressing happiness about the establishment of this center, are calling for marketing to sell their handicrafts.

Ghausuddin, a resident of the Qalin Bafan village in Nahr-e-Shahi district of Balkh, said: "People used to weave carpets in their homes, but their carpets were not offered in the market. Now, through this center, people can present their carpets to foreign markets."

Abdul Ghiyas, another resident of this village, said: "We are very happy that this center has been established because I was unemployed, and now I have a job. I urge the organizations to provide even more support."

Afghan carpets are renowned worldwide, and thousands of meters of carpets woven in Afghanistan are exported to various countries every year, providing hundreds of families with their livelihood.