Dec 30, 2007

Mullah Omar Warns: Harsh winter is waiting for foreign forces

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Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of Taliban in a message to International forces in Afghanistan has warned that they should expect more attack by Taliban because the Taliban will continue their attacks in the winter.

He has said this message on the days of Eid al-Adha and added that the Taliban fighters are still in outskirts of Musa Qala city, they might come back very soon. The district of Musa Qala was already controlled by Taliban and had turned to a city of terror. In 10th of December, Afghanistan National Army with the supports of US troops and British troops entered to the central of Musa Qala just after heavy combats with Taliban.

The Taliban leader has been also asking from Islamic countries to help for withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
For the lasts years, the Taliban was the only group in which has taken the responsibilities of the most suicide attacks and civilian deaths in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, President Hamid Karzai in his return back to Afghanistan last month stated that he is ready to negotiate with Mullah Mohammad Omar the Taliban leader and Gubuddin Hekmatyar the leader of Islamic party. He eagerly said, if he had the address for them, he would definitely personally will send people for negotiation with them.

Dec 23, 2007

Christmas day in Afghanistan

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Christmas Eve in the Afghan capital. Kabul’s famous flower street market does roaring trade in Christmas trees.
I wish you all a great Christmas. Let 2008 be the year of peace and security. The year 2007 was bloody year for Afghan people, suicide attacks and several explosions in central of the cities. Lots of people died. Don't forget Afghanistan, don't forget its children, women and homeless people.
By the way don't forget me as well. I need your help but can't write here unfortunately.

Love and peace

Dec 13, 2007

Shots In the Arm Spread HIV in Afghanistan

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Note that this article was first published in the Pajamasmedia (direct link of this articale)and if you reproduce this article you must retain this notice
In 2005 the UN warned of the risk of AIDS to Afghanistan. There is great concern over the virus being spread by growing numbers of drug users injecting and sharing needles.
At the time there were no reliable figures on the incidence of AIDS in that country. The figures available at the time suggested the problem was not great.
The only definite figures available on HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan would suggest that there is not too much to worry about. There are just 35 HIV-positive cases identified by Kabul’s blood bank.
More definite figures are now available. Abdul Sami Wahib, the director for the AIDS program in the Afghan Ministry of Health, says the research shows that over 3% of drug-addicts who use injections are infected, and that if nothing happens to prevent drug addiction in the country within the next four years as many as 4% of the population will be infected by HIV/AIDS.
The authority in the Ministry of Health said that currently more than 250 cases have been registered. But this number counts only the victims in the major cities; there’s no accurate information available about how many others are affected by AIDS elsewhere.
Faizullah Kakar, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Public Health, has said in interviews that the numbers of HIV-infected persons is higher than the numbers given. Kakar says that seven people have currently been reported as having died from AIDS.
The World Bank has approved $89.6 million to help improve the Afghan public health system, and Afghan authorities say there have been many international promises of assistance. Free checkups have been offered, and six centers for advising were opened in order to prevent further infections. The authorities say in addition to these efforts a guide about how to avoid HIV will be taught in the schools.
According to Gulalai Safi, a member of the Health Commission in parliament, while millions of dollars have been spent through the Global Fund, IRC, Action AID and several other humanitarian organizations, there’s no sign of improvement in preventing HIV in the country. She added that the struggle by the Afghanistan government and the international community have been far below expectations.
There were constant complaints in centers for HIV treatment about the lack of medicine for patients. Most of the patients were left without medications because they are unable to buy the drugs by themselves. The World Health Organization has promised to donate drugs for Afghan treatment centers to promote the patients’ resistance against HIV disease.
This year Afghanistan saw HIV/AIDS cases increase threefold from last year. HIV/AIDS registration began after September 11. Concerns about increasing HIV/AIDS rates among Afghans have become a serious public issue. Currently, many clergymen try to warn people of its dangers in speeches at mosques, explaining that AIDS comes from illegal sexual intercourse, but they have yet to realize there are more ways of transferring the virus.
That education is still wanting. In recent years little has been done by the Ministry of Health or other organizations to increase the awareness that AIDS can be spread through needles. There is no public awareness campaign or free information available to help people to avoid getting infected. The Ministry of Health has only hung a few placards on the roadside. It will not be enough.

Dec 6, 2007

Small Breadwinner

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Today hundreds of these children are in the streets to work and earn money to feed herself and her family. Lots of these children are coming from poor family who lost their parents in the time of war and today they have to afford harsh works to survive. This child is one of them who supports his family by polishing the boots on the streets. She is at the age of 9 who deprived from going to school. As she looks to horizon, we can imagine, she looks her next day which comes the same as yesterday, she is dreaming the horizon of her future live. But her world doesn’t' exceed further than herself and the place surrounded her; the slipper she holds and the tools for polishing she is carrying.