Mazar-e-Sharif is a major city in northern Afghanistan . From Kabul , it is reached by crossing the Hindukush mountains via the Salang Tunnel, which was opened under the Soviet Union in the 1960s to open up the northern province of Balkh to the south. The city plays an important role regionally and nationally. Close to the northern borders of Afghanistan , the provincial capital has linguistic, cultural and economic links with Uzbekistan , which the central government of Kabul has always tried to limit and control. Many pilgrims visit the large blue mosque in the city centre. Mazar-e-Sharif's isolation has meant that it has not seen as much conflict as Kabul or the south of the country and as a result it has attracted and continues to attract a great number of returnees from Iran and Pakistan .

In this reconstruction phase, the problems the city faces are not so much the direct consequence of conflict, but of structural breakdown in and around the city caused by the arrival of refugees. The situation is comparable to that of Kabul , with almost 70% of informal and/or illegal occupation of land, Mazar-e-Sharif needs to absorb these new arrivals and begin a phase of profound structural renewal. However, there are many hurdles to overcome (blocked or legally unavailable buildings, insufficient water supply infrastructure, non-existent drainage, evacuation or collection of waste, lack of appropriate urban planning skills, etc.).