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| Section The ICRC in Afghanistan
©ICRC/M. Kokic/af-e-00776
Kabul, Ali Abad Orthopaedic Centre.
The armed conflict in Afghanistan continued to intensify in 2007. Fighting between armed groups and national and international forces occurs regularly in more than half of Afghanistan's provinces, while provinces not directly affected by fighting suffer roadside bombs, targeted killings, suicide bombings and deliberate intimidation of civilians. While the south remains the most conflict-affected region, the south-eastern provinces have also seen a deterioration in the security situation.
The ICRC continues to respond to the needs of people affected by the armed conflict, though security constraints still hamper humanitarian operations in many areas.  Key document4-4-2008 Afghanistan: ICRC activities, January - March 2008Afghanistan is one of the ICRC's biggest operations. With its main delegation in Kabul and other offices countrywide, it carries out programmes that include visiting detainees, restoring links between dispersed families, as well as health and rehabilitation projects. Overview of the latest activities. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Operational update 18-2-2008 Humanitarian situation worsens as Afghan hostilities spreadThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. As armed hostilities spread and insecurity grows, more and more people are being forced to flee their homes. It is also becoming increasingly difficult for the ICRC to access displaced people throughout the country. In addition, freezing temperatures and blizzards have affected several areas, killing hundreds. Interview with Franz Rauchenstein, ICRC deputy head of delegation in Afghanistan. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo 13-12-2007 ICRC visits to detainees in AfghanistanIt is well-known that the ICRC visits detainees worldwide. But to whom exactly does it report? Interview with Pierre Kraehenbuehl on ICRC visits to detainees in Afghanistan (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo 10-12-2007 US detention related to the events of 11 September 2001 and its aftermath – the role of the ICRCThis document explains the purpose of the ICRC visits to US places of detention in Bagram BTIF (Afghanistan), Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) and Charleston, South Carolina (USA) and its procedures. (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\United States) Operational update Audio Collection16-6-2003 A decade of assisting Afghan disabled - interview with Alberto CairoFollowing the publication of his book "Stories from Kabul", Alberto Cairo, head of orthopaedic programmes in Afghanistan, talks about ICRC's work in the country. He speaks about his feelings for the future - for himself, the ICRC and the disabled people he helps. (Info resources\Audio\Asia and the Pacific) Audio Collection Includes Audio Feature13-5-2008 Afghanistan: hope rising from the ashesInjuries from landmines over the last 25 years have left an estimated 100,000 or more Afghan people handicapped. Scattered throughout the country, landmines bring sudden and unexpected tragedy to many families. This is the story of Saddiq Ali, whose shattered life the ICRC is helping to rebuild. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 2-5-2008 Afghanistan: video calls provide vital link to families of detaineesEarly in 2008, the ICRC and American authorities set up a system to enable individuals held at the US detention facility in Bagram to communicate with their families via video-teleconference calls. The ICRC's tracing field officer in Kabul, Haji Abu Sayed, tells the story of Janan, a nomadic herdsman who travelled long and far to see his son. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 10-4-2008 Ronaldo makes donation to Afghan mine victims on behalf of UEFACristiano Ronaldo was presented with a cheque for CHF100,000 (€63,100) by UEFA for the Score for the Red Cross charitable campaign prior to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg between Manchester United FC and AS Roma at Old Trafford. (Help the ICRC\Clubs and associations) Feature Includes Photo 13-1-2008 Afghanistan: waiting for a hi-tech glimpse of their loved onesUntil now, inmates of the detention facility at Bagram have communicated with their families using traditional Red Cross Message forms. In mid-January the ICRC, with the US military, introduced a video-conference system that allows relatives to see and hear their loved ones. Focus on three families eager to try it out. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 13-11-2007 Afghan mine victims brave the oddsAfghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. While considerable progress has been made in recent years in mine clearance, and the number of victims recorded each year has steadily decreased, the scale of the problem remains enormous. Tens of thousands of landmine victims need care and assistance. The ICRC is helping to address the plight of victims in Afghanistan through its orthopaedic programme, which has assisted almost 80,000 disabled people over the past two decades. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 2-11-2007 Helping the disabled in Afghanistan: "Enough work for the next 40 years"Decades of war have left tens of thousands of amputees in need of care and support to help them build a future. Alberto Cairo has been running ICRC orthopaedic programmes in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years; in Kabul, he spoke to the ICRC's Claudia McGoldrick. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 31-10-2007 Afghanistan: on the frontline of health careSharifa Seddiqi is a most unusual woman. Not only is she the sole female surgeon in Afghanistan's war-ravaged southern province of Kandahar, she also runs Mirwais hospital in Kandahar, the main hospital in the region. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature 25-6-2007 Southern Afghanistan: Red Cross messages reunite hundreds of detainees with their families every monthIn Southern Afghanistan, ICRC delegates regularly visit detainees in places of detention throughout the region. As part of this work, the ICRC offers detainees the opportunity to maintain contact with their families their through Red Cross messages. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature 5-6-2007 Afghanistan: bringing medical assistance to remote populationsThe steady deterioration of Afghanistan's medical infrastructure has created a vast gap in the provision of health care services, especially in more remote parts of the country. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 5-6-2007 Even Dark Clouds Can Have a Silver LiningThey say that "every cloud has a silver lining" and perhaps this is true for 12 year old Saif-u'Rahman. Saif was living happily with his brother in Iran since 2006, but in May this year he was collected by the local police while shopping, and deported through the Islam Qala border crossing and on to Herat, as one member of a group of mass deportees. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo Field newsletter11-7-2007 ICRC in Afghanistan - Delegation Factsheet on orthopaedicFactsheet, April 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Field newsletter Includes PDF 11-7-2007 ICRC in Afghanistan - Delegation NewsletterNewsletter, June 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Field newsletter Includes PDF 29-6-2007 ICRC in Afghanistan - Delegation Factsheet on International Humanitarian LawFactsheet, June 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Field newsletter Includes PDF 29-6-2007 ICRC in Afghanistan - Delegation NewsletterNewsletter, May 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Field newsletter Includes PDF ICRC film7-6-2007 ICRC - 20 years in Afghanistan Through the words of those who have borne the brunt of Afghanistan's devastating conflicts, this film looks back on 20 years of uninterrupted ICRC presence in the country. Both beneficiaries and local staff describe the profound impact the ICRC's dedicated work has had on their lives and on those of their fellow countrymen from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Assistance) ICRC film Includes Video 19-9-2006 Afghanistan: surviving the PeaceTravelling on roads, working in the fields or even walking to school are fraught with danger in many parts of Afghanistan. After decades of war the country is littered with landmines and explosives which continue to kill and maim. Among recent victims is 15-year-old Kabir who returns to the scene of his accident to tell his story. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\From the field) ICRC film Includes Video International Review of the Red Cross31-3-2007 Interview with Ms Fatima Gailani, President of the Afghan Red Crescent SocietyFatima Gailani has been serving as the president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society since 2004. She is the daughter of Pir Sayed Ahmed Gailani, the leader of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan who fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. (Info resources\International Review\2007 - No. 865) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF Interview26-3-2008 UEFA and ICRC launch online fundraising drive for EURO™ 2008The ICRC and UEFA have teamed up to launch a fundraising campaign around the Euro 2008 football championship being held in Austria and Switzerland in June. The ICRC's Antoine Bieler, who is responsible for the campaign, explains the idea behind Score For the Red Cross. (Help the ICRC\Clubs and associations) Interview 27-9-2007 Afghanistan: Promoting dialogue through neutralityOn 29 August 2007 the last seven Korean hostages still held by the armed opposition in Afghanistan were released. Olivier Jenard, the ICRC’s deputy head of operations for Central Asia and the Sub-Continent, comments on the organization’s role as a neutral intermediary in the release of the 21 hostages. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo 27-8-2007 Supporting Mirwais hospital in southern Afghanistan The ICRC's head of delegation in Afghanistan, Reto Stocker, talks about the ICRC's ongoing assistance for surgical services at Mirwais hospital in Kandahar and explains why the organization has upgraded its support to include the entire hospital. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo 12-6-2007 Afghanistan: suffering continues amidst escalating conflictThe Afghan people have endured tremendous and seemingly unending suffering through nearly three decades of war, with no end in sight, as the conflict is currently intensifying and spreading. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of ICRC's permanent presence in Afghanistan, Reto Stocker, the ICRC's head of delegation in Kabul, clarifies the current situation and explains why there is still so much left to do. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo Operational update11-1-2008 Afghanistan: ICRC activities in 2007During 2007, violence in Afghanistan escalated and the context remained one of the ICRC's largest operations worldwide with more than 1,200 locally recruited and expatriate staff working to help people affected by war. The ICRC's delegation is located in Kabul with other offices situated in Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Gulbahar, Faizabad and Bamiyan. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Operational update Photo Collection17-4-2008 Afganistan: landmine survivors play football As the clock counts down to Euro 2008 ™, the ICRC and UEFA have teamed up to help the survivors of landmines in Afghanistan through the www.scorefortheredcross.org campaign. Recently, a group of Afghan landmine victims organized a football match outside the ICRC's orthopaedic centre in Kabul to show their support for the charitable campaign. (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific) Photo Collection Includes Photo 7-4-2008 Afghanistan: armed conflict continues to exact a heavy toll After more than twenty years of being in the country, the ICRC is still providing a range of services to those affected by armed conflict in Afghanistan. These include supporting medical facilities, providing emergency assistance materials, visiting detainees, putting families back in touch and educating children about the dangers of unexploded munitions. (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific) Photo Collection Includes Photo 27-11-2007 Afghanistan – Measured success after decade of Mine-Ban Convention Ten years ago this December, the Mine-Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention, was adopted by most of the world’s States. This photo essay explores some of the accomplishments and remaining challenges in one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific) Photo Collection Includes Photo 4-6-2007 Afghanistan 20 years on: endless suffering, startling resilience This retrospective marks the 20th anniversary of the ICRC’s permanent presence in Afghanistan. It is meant to serve as a record of the unbearable suffering inflicted upon the Afghan people by 28 years of miserable war and as a tribute to their resilience. (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific) Photo Collection Includes Photo Press article29-4-2008 Score for the Red CrossFootball and the Red Cross Red Crescent may seem unlikely bedfellows, but recognition of shared values has helped forge a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship. In the context of the forthcoming EURO 2008™, UEFA and the ICRC have once again joined forces to bring aid to the victims of armed conflict - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2008. (Help the ICRC\Clubs and associations) Press article 2-1-2008 Afghanistan: A tragic legacyA crossroads for conquest and commerce in the heart of Central Asia, Afghanistan is no stranger to violence and instability. Over the years, it has seen the caravans of the Silk Road and the armies of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane pass through. More recently, since 1979, the country has been ravaged by a succession of devastating conflicts. Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 3, 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Press article Includes Photo 23-11-2007 The weapon that keeps takingLink to an article published by the International Herald Tribune on 22 November 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Press article 31-3-2006 Afghanistan A new lease of lifeIn one of the world’s most mine-infested countries, the ICRC initiated a microcredit programme to help disabled people return to work and recover their self-sufficiency - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 1, 2006 (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Press article Press briefing12-6-2007 Afghanistan: three decades of war and no end in sightFor the ICRC, 2007 marks 20 years of uninterrupted presence in Afghanistan. The organization's director of operations, Pierre Krähenbühl, evoked the perpetual suffering of the Afghan people through four successive armed conflicts and paid tribute to their boundless courage and resilience. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Press briefing Includes Photo Stories from the field23-11-2007 Afghanistan: mine victims tell their storyIn Afghanistan, even if there was not a single new mine accident, tens of thousands of mine victims will require healthcare and assistance for the rest of their lives. Not only do they need physical rehabilitation, they need to be able to reintegrate into society. This requires vocational training and employment opportunities. Here, four mine victims who have been helped in different ways by the ICRC or the Afghan Red Crescent Society tell their stories. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Stories from the field Includes Photo 5-11-2007 The Cairo Chronicles : bits of life in KabulAlberto Cairo is head of the ICRC's programmes for the war disabled in Afghanistan. Over the past 18 years he has met many ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Extracts from his diary. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health\Physical rehabilitation) Stories from the field Includes Photo 7-6-2007 Afghanistan: testimonies from those affected by conflictThree Afghanis explain how their lives have been altered by conflict and their contact with the ICRC and the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Stories from the field 4-4-2006 “Now that you are disabled, your life is finished!”Being disabled in Afghanistan, a ruined country in the grip of perpetual warfare, is a cruel fate. Many people afflicted in this way despair and end up a burden on their families. But with the ICRC's help, others are finding their way in the world. Here are the stories of nine people who have been aided by an ICRC microcredit programme to get their lives started again. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Stories from the field Includes Photo 23-1-2006 Afghanistan: school offers hope to landmine victimsA Scottish lecturer is the brains behind a project to build a Red Cross school specialising in fitting artificial limbs in Afghanistan, where many people have fallen victim to landmines. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Stories from the field Includes Photo More in this section9-4-2003 Homage to a slain delegateRicardo Munguia (39), ICRC water engineer, was shot dead in Afghanistan on 27 March 2003. Family, friends and colleagues paid tribute to him at a ceremony in Geneva on 2 April, during a day of mourning declared by the ICRC. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) |
