Ahmad was a soldier in the Afghan Army till August 2021. In a battle to protect Kabul airport so westerners and some Afghans could escape, he was shot in the face. He could only get emergency medical help. He lost one eye and suffered very painful injuries on one half of his face. He has mostly been in hiding since then. If captured by the Taliban he will be killed. Meanwhile he and his family often are completely without food – and his physical pain continues, often intense.

Shakila is a young mother with several children. Her husband was killed in fighting with the Taliban. In December 2021 she went with her children to a market in Kabul. She sold one of her children there to raise money to feed the others. She had had no help since August. She raised $103 which enabled her to feed her other children for 6 weeks. The Taliban punish heavily people who do this. At the same time they make life impossible for people like Shakila. Her family included people who had worked for the previous government.

Mahmoud had a wife and 4 children. He was clearing mines from his area just before NATO withdrew. He trod on one. It blew off one of his legs. He received first aid. But he was not able to access medical help for over a year. The whole community knew how he lost his leg but dare not be seen to support him. He could neither work nor get international food aid. His family starved and he suffered continuous and often horrific pain. He died in the winter of 2022-23 – of poverty and his dreadful injuries, We continue to try to support his widow and four children.