Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a country in crisis. Thirty years of conflict, complicated by endemic poverty, devastated infrastructure, and brutal natural disasters, have fractured Afghan families and communities profoundly. Drought, flash floods, landslides, disease outbreaks, severe winter weather, armed conflict, and the influx of Afghan refugees forced back into the country from Iran comprise a short list of the hardships on Afghan society.
According to UNICEF, 70% of Afghanistan’s population lives in dire poverty. 40% of children younger than three years old are underweight. 54% of children younger than five years old are stunted. One in five children die of malnutrition and curable diseases before their fifth birthday. One in eight mothers die in childbirth. There are currently over 2 million orphans living in Afghanistan.
According to the CIA World Factbook, fewer than 42% of males over age 15 can read and write. Fewer than 13% of females over age 15 can read and write. Schools, teachers, and students are targeted by the Taliban and other anti-government forces, and the Pulitzer Center reports that over 600 schools were either destroyed or closed last year and this year as a result.
Yet Afghanistan is at the same time a country with a deeply rich cultural heritage and a breathtakingly beautiful landscape.
Recommended Reading
There are a number of excellent writers and commentators doing great work on Afghanistan and Pakistan, but we particularly recommend the following:
Gretchen Peters - A friend and inspiration to Veterans for Afghanistan, Gretchen has covered Afghanistan and Pakistan for the AP and ABC News for more than a decade. She formerly resided in Pakistan and spent five years traveling the border areas to research and write Seeds of Terror: How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Read her brilliant blog here.
Ahmed Rashid - Author of Taliban, Jihad, and Descent into Chaos, Rashid has a comprehensive view of the history, politics, culture, and current affairs in Central and South Asia and is easily the smartest, most astute writer out there on the topic.
Sarah Chayes- Author of The Punishment of Virtue, Chayes has extensive experience as a journalist and humanitarian aid worker in Afghanistan, and now runs a cooperative enterprise in Kandahar. She posts occastional commentaries here.
Our Afghanistan
When troops are deployed in Afghanistan, they typically feel like all the good things they do are either unreported or overshadowed by the ongoing conflict. If you’d like to see a representation of the daily reality of troops serving in Afghanistan right now, take a look at:
We also welcome you to view our slideshow of photographs taken during our deployments to Afghanistan. More information and photos will be added soon. All photographs are for viewing only, please; they remain the property of the individuals who took them.
