On the road in Kabul

My short stint in war torn Kabul has been an experience I will never forget. It's a different world out there.

In the midst of the beautiful mountain tops and valleys and a hard working population trying to make a living, bombs still go-off killing innocent lives.

War, instability and isolation have left a heavily mined nation with an average life expectancy in the mid 40s and some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Powerful regional warlords, a booming narcotics trade and Taliban insurgency, which is trying to oust foreign troops and the western-back government, are all contributing to current situations.
The international community has made many commitments to Afghanistan, not least the USD10 billion pledged at the London conference in February 2006. The country will require much to overcome the decades of destruction and to combat the years of neglect to its infrastructure. However, security remains a critical factor. In the southern parts of the country, humanitarian aid is unable to reach vulnerable people because of the insecurity in the area due to the continued insurgency.
Despite the tensions, Afghans have welcomed and embraced their new freedoms and there is now a quiet confidence and hope that peace might finally spread throughout the country.