"Kandahar Chronicles is the ongoing story of the day-to-day life of an MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) Field Logistician based in Kandahar Afghanistan. You can email the author your questions and comments here: carlos@citizenlab.orgTuesday, January 27, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #62 - 24/01/2004The sky hangs like a grey sheet of ice. People shuffle quickly past swirling dust, only their eyes visible squinting through tightly wrapped scarves. Unlatched windows bang shut and corrugated tin sheets on the roofs creak on old timber. A camel train plods by; ten shaggy, sullen beasts bare yellow teeth and pull at their halters. The wind picks up strength moving through the buildings with a low moan. The sky turns from white to yellow to a sinister dark brown as the winter sandstorm advances. Four American humvees pass by the gates on patrol, spooking the camels. Soldiers manning machine guns on the roofs of the point and tail vehicles nod a greeting, just goggles and helmets pulled deep into their jackets peering over their gun shields. An electronic eye attached to a cannon blinks at me. Shopkeepers move quickly fastening shutters to protect merchandise from the storm. The sand comes like a wall; already the end of the street has vanished, swallowed by the flying debris. posted by @ 03:51 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #61 - 23/01/2004 I don’t know what it is about this place. I have a month left in my extended contract and I’m not sure if I’m happy about it or not. In a few days, I will be the only one left from the happy gang of summer. What a different time it was then. Parties, swimming pool, and scandalous relationships kept the pressures of work and the ever-present tension of the security situation at bay. Soon my old friend Philippe will leave and then I’m sure I will start counting the days. The expat presence is very limited now and the weather is cold making it difficult to find a pressure release. It would be a different story if we could stroll through the bazaar after work and chat with the locals but security doesn’t allow for that. posted by @ 03:50 PM EST [more..] Thursday, January 22, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #60 - 21/01/2004Rumour of the Day…four men dressed in women’s burquas discovered carrying explosives around the bazaar. Great, Al Queda has sent in its transvestite battalion. You think these guys would learn, but they must get away with the old burqua ruse quite often to keep trying it. There are always stories of men attempting to escape detection under the blue shroud that are exposed, and these four sound like they were up for some mischief. I’ve just spoken to the PC and it seems like it is a true story. Too bad, it goes against the grain of the last two weeks. Perhaps the fellas used up all their bombs and made the long trek to their hidden depots in the hills to restock. Yesterday the Americans detonated a series of massive blasts that went on for most of the day. These were all controlled explosions to destroy old munitions, but still they rattled the hell out of the office windows. I often wonder how much these controlled blasts are also a signal to these AQ and Taliban elements in the city. A not so subtle reminder that if push comes to shove, the Coalition can pick their spot where to set off similar explosions. I watched the last few while enjoying a vodka tonic on the roof. posted by @ 10:19 AM EST [more..] Monday, January 19, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #59 - 19/01/2004The brief story of Jaweed, in his own words… My name is Jaweed, I’m 25 years old, and I passed grade 12. I studied three months in Lawyer University. After that the security was worse, then I couldn’t go to university anymore because it was stopped. Because I was very sad I could’nt follow my uni because the fight was starting between Mujahadden. Then I can’t go because of security, first fighting start in Coaty, Songuy. It was big thing with two groups of Mujahadeen. posted by @ 03:08 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #58 - 18/01/2004 Almost two weeks and not a single surprise blast to get the adrenaline flowing. I don’t know what to do with myself, I might even get some proper work done. The last few days I’ve been probing the depths of our email designated computer trying to get it to function properly again. We had the email (CC Mail) program installed on our new laptop but for reasons beyond my ability to figure out the bloody thing won’t respond. I’ve even contacted the IT guy in Amsterdam and gone through the whole process step by step over the phone but still nothing. The power button on our old email computer is totally shot and if it is accidentally shut down, as I did the other day while daydreaming about pizza and Kylie, then the only effective way of starting it is to rummage around the sides of the button with a paper clip until it sparks up. Not the manufacturers recommended way I’m sure, but better than my alternatives of throwing it into the open sewer behind the office or backing a land cruiser over it. posted by @ 03:05 PM EST [more..] Friday, January 16, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #57 - 14/01/2004“Afghanistan without educated women is like a bird with one wing.” -Female Afghan NGO worker We’re trying to find an Afhan female doctor or midwife to act as supervisor for the Obstetrics and Gynecological ward at Mirwais Hospital. I had found a good candidate from our staff act as a translator for our expat medical team, but the supervisor role will be a tougher one to fill. I’ve just finished having a cup of tea with the PC, Jan Peter, and he told me that with a “salary cap” being initiated by the MOH, finding female medical professionals should now become possible. The situation now means that Afghan female doctors, who are rare and highly prized, have traditionally been snapped up by big budget organizations like WHO and UNICEF. MSF, which is well funded through private donations, tends to put its money more into the programs and pay slightly lower salaries to both its international and national staffs. There has never been a problem finding highly qualified people to fill these positions but in the traditionally conservative area of Southern Afghanistan, it has meant that most female doctors tend to find positions in Kabul or other less restrictive and more lucrative areas of the country. posted by @ 03:54 PM EST [more..] Monday, January 12, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #56 - 12/01/2004There are some dodgy characters here. I had a walk around the compound with an NGO security expert this morning. I wanted to get to the hospital but as he is in town only a couple of days I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity. Tomorrow for sure. “Zis is where I would place ze device in order to cause ze casualties maximum.” He said, his eyes sad at some distant memory. “I saw it in Beirut.” We stolled around the office and house discusses the measures I had put in place. He nodded with approval when he inspected these and shook his head with dismay at areas he felt could be improved. posted by @ 01:42 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #55 - 10/01/2004 I’ve been neglecting some great emails I’ve been getting over the last few weeks, and with the city momentarily quiet the last forty eight hours, (only one blast and an attack on an American base- repulsed) I’ll try to get to them now. Sorry this is a bit late, especially for those people on their way here. Ashok, There’s no special threats towards foreign diplomats that aren’t faced by all of us right now. Kandahar is a tough place and there have been ambushes and kidnappings recently. Two Indian engineers, among others, have spent a few days as guests of the Taliban but were released unharmed. If you do come out as a member of the Indian Consular delegation, you can be sure that they will have very tight security procedures. The private sector as well has security procedures and many of the people involved in rebuilding Afghanistan’s roads works under the watchful eye of armed guards. One of the biggest threats is just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. posted by @ 12:11 PM EST [more..] Wednesday, January 7, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #54 - 07/01/2003Whose 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. posted by @ 12:13 PM EST [more..] Tuesday, January 6, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #53 - 06/01/2004Well shit, that didn’t take long. Less than three hours after the conclusion of the Loya Jurga constitutional process, explosions and automatic rifle fire erupted around the corner at the UNHCR (UN High Commission for Refugees) compound. Initial reports state that gunmen drove up in front of the compound, threw an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) at the wall and opened fire on the guards in front. Luckily, nobody was injured and the car sped off before the police arrived. The UNHCR compound is located on a wide, well-lit street regularly patrolled by American forces. Without giving away too many details, the possible presence of US troops is usually a serious deterrent and an attack like this within the city is uncommon. All we could do was settle in and wait to see what the new day would bring. posted by @ 02:10 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #52 - 05/01/2004 The Constitutional Loya Jurga has wrapped up under a giant white tent on a hilltop in Kabul. Twenty one days of acrimonious debate concerning all aspects of what a document like this draft should represent plus the added spice of this being Afghanistan. UNAMA bigshot Brahimi and Karzai got up in turn in front of the assembly to announce the successful conclusion of deliberations and declare the way forward is clear, while at the same time wagging a finger at those elements that may serve to disrupt this agreed way forward. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the details of the constitution, (no internet or English newspapers) so I’m relying on the bits and pieces I hear from the guys in the office. From what I can gather, these are the main points… posted by @ 02:08 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #51 - 20/12/2003 Note: This Entry Appears out of order due to a technical screw up My conciousness returned with a thump as the wheels touched down at Dubai International Airport. I'd only just managed to make the three a.m. flight out of Islamabad after nodding off in the departure lounge and missing the boarding call. The early hour of this flight is reflected in the cheap cost of the ticket and the hordes of Indian and Pakistani workers who make their living doing the menial jobs that citizens of the Emirates prefer to avoid. I took advantage of this bargain ticket to make my way to a beach and find a way to avoid the freezing nights of Herat where I had the option of spending Santa's holy day of consumerism with fellow MSF people people in from the projects for a couple of days. Fun as it would have been, I couldn't resist the opportunity to see a Gulf country built on the back of the mighty petrodollar and see a different side of Islamic culture away from the fundamentalist interpretations in Kandahar. posted by @ 01:50 PM EST [more..] Monday, January 5, 2004Kandahar Chronicles #50 - 01/01/2004Happy New Year. We just told about a third of our staff that they will probably be out of a job in a months time. Not a very nice way to begin but if we are to have any chance of starting up the health care in Zhare Dasht again it will have to be with a reduced presence and on an irregular schedule. We are vulnerable to attack on the road out to the camp and our past practice of running minivans full of staff on a predictable time schedule is potentially, asking for trouble. On top of this, the level of care we were providing far exceeds that available in the surrounding communities. It’s a balancing act when dealing with a displaced population located in the midst of an existing one. If the existing community also suffers from things such as inadequate health care, then it is easy for a feeling of resentment to build. While the presence of the IDPs creates employment possibilities for the locals, as they are outsiders, their presence can also lead to tension. Afghans often have stronger ties to their ethnic group than to the concept Pan-Afghan nationalism. posted by @ 12:52 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #49 - 29/12/2003 Excellent to be back in Kandahar but shit, it’s cold. The warm greetings from all the guys as I pulled into the compound was fun but an icy, grey sky soon forced me indoors. Back to the grind, eight weeks left in my contract. The guys did a great job keeping the programs going while we were away but there is lots of work to do to get on top of things again. I came down with our new Head of Mission, Nelke, the MedCo, Gloria, the new Project Coordinator, Jan Peter, and my friend Hamil. A good lunch and then we jumped right in to meetings and for me, a briefing on decisions that have been made while I’ve been sunning myself. Basically, except for a few minor changes, things will continue pretty much as before. The security is still a major factor in influencing our operations but it looks like we are going to run the Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward at the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar so we will have lots to do. It’s unfortunate because it’s interesting to be involved in the IDP camp at Zhare Dasht and we do a lot of good work there, but for now the referral process is running effectively and we will do a reassessment on the viability of returning in a months time. posted by @ 12:50 PM EST [more..] Kandahar Chronicles #48 - 27/12/2003 “Dubaidubaidubaidubaidubai!, car Dubai, good car Dubai, you mister go Dubai then coming please.” The end of a holiday. Good food, lots of scuba diving and a beautiful Norwegian lady already being dragged kicking and screaming out of the present and into my memory bank. I left Korfakkan, a lovely little town on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, and was heading to Dubai International for the flight to Islamabad and eventually Afghanistan. Ten of the best days of my life behind me and now an old Arab trying to pull my rucksack away to throw in his taxi. I climbed aboard and settled in for the ride. posted by @ 12:48 PM EST [more..] |
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