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01/07/2004: "Kandahar Chronicles #54 - 07/01/2003"

Whose bloody idea was it to stay up late, drink vodka and watch the helicopters? I was happily tucked in for the night after a long day of planning project orders and trying to find out some information about the terrible blast that killed eighteen women and children out by the eastern “Taliban”gates when my windows started to shake. Eleven pm, what the hell were the Americans up to at this hour? When I heard them start to circle, I jumped up for a look. Jan Pater woke up and came out, also shivering in his boxer shorts.

“What’s going on?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the two dark shapes passing fifty meters over our heads as we stood on the roof.

“Who knows, something to do with the shit today, I guess.”

The continued their circling, one outside and above the other. We took turns watching the helicopters while the other retreated into his room to get some warm clothes on.

“Do you think they can see us?” he asked, aware of our exposed position.

“Well, considering they are only fifty meters above us with night vision gear, searching for somebody who is probably trying to hide while we’re standing on an open rooftop smoking…” Okay, okay.

Hamil came out and joined us with glasses and a bottle of vodka cunningly disguised in a water bottle. A few drinks and an hour had passed, the helicopters maintaining their circling, breaking their routine only to fire multi coloured flares into the night sky. Bugger this, it was getting cold and we had a busy day ahead.

I got up a bit late and had a shower. My brain was foggy and I didn’t feel like an office day. We had discussed whether we should move around town and decided to limit movements to essential only and stay out of the bazaar. I opted for a hospital visit to check up on the OPD (Out Patient Department) we had set up to treat people from the camp. I grabbed Jaweed for company and we jumped in a vehicle for the two minute drive.

We wandered around the IDW (Infectious Disease Ward) that we work in and made job lists. It’s clean and runs well but could do with a facelift and a few other odds and ends. From there we went outside to the temporary, tented OPD that we had set up on the hospital grounds. The medical staff were all sitting around enjoying the sunshine, waiting for the next wave of rented minivan ambulances to come in. It’s a bit like a MASH unit and again, except for a few minor details, was running efficiently. We didn’t know what to do with ourselves and neither of us felt like going back to the office so we decided on a chai with the team and a wander over to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward that we are due to get running soon. ICRC has done some excellent work getting the ward in shape and I wanted to see what would be needed to furnish and stock it.

A doctor from the maternity ward across the hall gave us a tour and I made my notes. To be honest, I don’t really have a clue what’s needed on an Ops/Gynny ward but between guidelines from HQ and some stock lists from ICRC and Unicef, I’ll figure it out. Continuing to play hooky, we walked over to the ICRC supported surgical ward to check out some construction work a friend from ICRC had completed. On the way there, I received a call on the radio saying there was trouble in town and to return to base. We never discuss security matters on the open airwaves so we got back in the land cruiser and headed back.

When we got back I found Jan Peter and he explained what he knew. Apparently, two rival warlords started a firefight in a couple different locations in town. Usually I would hear gunshots but at the hospital, everything had seemed peaceful. Bloody Kandahar, four blasts and two gunfights involving all the players in the area in the last forty hours. Add a couple Blackhawk helicopters and this is a noisy place at times. I don’t want to make light of the deadly seriousness of Kandahar in these difficult days, but after a while reports like this start becoming normal routine, like changing a printer cartridge. I think the next couple of days will be spent close to base though, and hopefully the only excitement to come to us will be an encore performance of the helicopters.

Replies: 2 Comments

Simply, take care...
Fernando....from Maimana

Take care Guys.... said @ 01/09/2004 07:16 AM EST

Hey this is my first time on this sight but wow...you really did a great job in laying out teh scene and describing it in such detail. I was just wondering if you've ever done this typeof aid work anywhere other than afghansitan...I would really liek to know! Anyway, I think its amazing what you are doing and I wish you the best of luck!Take care!

Tara said @ 01/07/2004 11:16 PM EST