Disaster Preparedness: Kabul Nov 2003

Your correspondent here writing from Kabul, the city liberated by that other 'Simpson' - John Simpson of the BBC. No relation unfortunately.

On Monday I visited north of Kabul - the area called Shamali - it was the area where the Taliban had practiced their scorched earth policy and where many villagers were killed. We drove an hour or so in the back of a sturdy Landover.

It was good to see local people have returned and are starting to rebuild their lives - It had snowed the night before so it looked stunningly beautiful. We were in a village at 3,300 metres (started at around 1700 so a bit of a romp - nice to get out in to the open air, clean and fresh). Our local partner has been running a disaster preparedness programme, which includes teaching about earthquakes and flooding terrorism, war and how to survive. In addition there is a more basic programme of disease prevention through building simple toilet constructions - they provide some material (£50s worth) and the villages construct them. Good co-operation.



The villagers were very friendly and pleased to see us. It was Ramazan, but they wanted to give tea - which we declined, but they insisted we took an apple each for the journey. Wonderful hospitality from people so poor.

On the way we saw a mine at the side of the road, a foot or so from the wheel of the Landover, we took photos and took a reading on the GPS (Global Placement Satellite) and decided that on the way back we would mark the spot with stones and let de-mining know. So as we were returning a villager with us, bent down said 'that's not a mine and nonchalantly picked it up and threw it away!!' It was casing of some kind from a shell, but looked very authentic buried in the ground. It caused a bit of a laugh anyway.

There was a nasty shooting incident in Ghazni - a UN French lady shot and killed - just 29 years old and much respected locally. Apparently over 1000 vehicles followed the vehicle carrying the body back to Kabul as a sign of respect for the work of the International Community and disgust at the brutal killing - in Pushtoon culture, you DO NOT kill women - It is very much against ‘Puktoonwali’ - the cultural value system).

The UN are pulling out of the south, but continuing their work overall. It is yet another 'security incident' here in a yet unstable but ever hopeful Afghanistan.

From your own correspondent
November 2003