General Background on Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been labeled by the United Nations as “one of the most difficult places to live in the world.” Decades of international and civil war, years of drought, and devastating earthquakes ruined the country’s economy and reduced the living conditions of its people to a bare subsistence level.

 

Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world; most live on less than $1 per day.  It leads the world in child and maternal mortality, malnutrition, and landmine victims.  Life expectancy is 43 years.  One out of four children dies before the age of five.  In 2002 women’s literacy was 6.5%, and there were more internally-displaced persons and refugees than any other country in the world.  Almost one-fourth of the entire population was homeless.   

 

Afghanistan has also been listed as one of the most oppressed countries in the world. During the six-year reign of the Taliban (from 1996-2001), women and girls were confined to homes with blackened windows and not allowed to leave their homes without a male relative.  They were forbidden from attending school or working. Consequently, many starved to death.  Covered from head to foot with burkhas, their faces even today remain hidden. 

Men were scarcely better off.  The Taliban disallowed music, dancing, playing soccer, kite flying, reading books and even laughing.  A roving patrol measured the lengths of men’s beards and publicly whipped those with beards that were too short.

 

AFF is working in north-central Afghanistan.  We chose to work in this area because it is in a strategic location.  It is the economic hub of northern Afghanistan.  Because of its location, there are many different tribes, or people’s groups, that live in this area, including Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen, Hazaras and Pashtun.  It is a “melting pot.”  Consequently, there are many different languages spoken. 

This part of Afghanistan was also hardest hit during the past few decades.  It is the region where the former Soviet Union first invaded.  It was also the home of the Northern Alliance.  Thus, the area was a war front and most of the infrastructure was destroyed.