This week, the withdrawal of international military forces from Afghanistan came to an end. It is uncertain what the future holds for the country. Our partners based in Afghanistan have been providing life-saving support to people in need. This included food packages, hygiene kits and trauma counselling. These are the stories of some of the families they were able to support before the recent political change in Afghanistan.
Hard to put into words
‘The horrors of conflict cannot be fully illustrated with mere words,’ Abdul* told us. ‘I have very bad memories. Many times our village was attacked, but this time it is worse.
‘I had three sons,’ he shares. ‘Two of them became victims of conflict.’
Abdul looks after his orphaned grandchildren, but he is too old to work. One of them drives a cart to earn a little money. But it’s not enough. They can't afford even the most basic essentials.
Our local partner provided Abdul with food and hygiene supplies – including soap and face masks. He was grateful for the support, but his family’s future remains uncertain.
Living in a cave
Khan* was a farmer who kept livestock back in his home. He led a good life with his family, eating fresh vegetables from his field and drinking milk from his livestock. He was very happy with his peaceful life.
But then his village was attacked, and Khan and his family were forced to leave. They moved to another city, but life there was tough. They couldn’t find a proper place to live, so they built a simple shelter using curtains. Eventually, they found a cave-like building and began to live there. With the worst drought in decades gripping the country, food is scarce. And so Khan's children had to beg in the market.
The relief package he received from our partners changed that. ‘This is beyond my expectations,’ he said. ‘Thank you for your concern and for the help you’ve provided.’
The resilience of children
‘Many times we have been displaced by the violence,’ shared Zarina*. ‘[This time] the conflict was very intense and so we had to leave our village. I have five children and my husband has a disability. He is not able to work, so our young children used to help with the farming.’
Now their farm has been left far behind. Unable to afford to rent a house, Zarina’s family was forced to live in a tent. ‘We never have enough food and our health is also affected.’
Yet Zarina’s children have shown remarkable resilience. They were making a small amount of money selling ice cream out of a water cooler.
It’s not enough to provide for the family’s needs, but our local partner was able to help. ‘When I got a call to receive the relief kits, I was very happy,’ Zarina told us. ‘I am thankful to your organisation for providing us such a good package of food and hygiene kits. Your help is timely.’
Please join us in praying for Afghanistan.
