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In Pictures: Afghanistan’s disabled

People with disabilities continue to face major challenges, including negative attitudes from society.

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Mobin is 5 years old. Here he raises his eyes to the ceiling in his house in Kabul - a typical gesture. Mobin was born with autism, and doesn’t understand the concept of danger. The family has taken him to see seven specialists, but nothing has changed. They all say that their son can’t be treated in Afghanistan and should be taken abroad. The family is concerned about Mobin’s future because Afghanistan has no educational services for autistic children. Mobin is a CCD beneficiary.
By Giovanni Diffidenti
Published On 12 Feb 2014

Based on the Social Protection Strategy and the National Risks and Vulnerability Assessment, one of the “Priorities at Risk Groups” in Afghanistan is represented by Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). These people continue to undergo hefty challenges: no access to public services, negative attitudes from society, unemployment and physical accessibility are just some of the hardships. To improve this situation, disability needs to be given a high priority in all policies of the government, private sector and civil society; and monitored for implementation. Providing direct enablement support to PwDs is another priority. 

In Afghanistan 2.7 percent  of the total population have very severe disabilities that call for the implementation of urgent policies and interventions. From a severity point of view, if other categories of disabilities are added, this rate increases to well over 15 percent, as indicated in the 2011 World Health Organization disability report.


Hafiza, 60, awaits food distribution. The World Food Program (WFP) supplies food to the Afghan Association of the Blind in Mazar-e-Sharif. Hafiza was wounded in one eye when a rocket landed near her house during the war with the Taliban. The food is distributed to poor people who are either blind or visually impaired. With winter coming soon, it is very difficult for them to survive.
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Shukrya (left) and Nuria at the Afghan Association of the Blind (AAB) in Mazar-e-Sharif. Both sisters are blind and have been attending the AAB for the past four years. So far they have learned to read and write. Before AAB, they would stay at home on their own without doing anything. “Our lives have changed completely since coming to AAB, we are much happier,”,says Nuria.
Fatima, 35, sits at home next to her mother-in-law in Mazar-e-Sharif. Fatima lost her hand to a rocket 14 years ago. She recently married Yar Mohammad, also disabled in both feet. She supports the entire family by knitting traditional dresses. She would love to go back to reading and writing classes, which she did before getting married, but currently no organisations are helping her.
Nickbakht, 21, is a double arm amputee. This image was taken in her home in the village of Aliabod, in Mazar-e-Sharif. Nickbakht and her family were in a car accident while travelling to Kabul. Both her parents died and her younger brother has difficulty walking. In the first year Nickbakht was depressed, but she managed to overcome her disability and now she is the bread-winner of the family. Until six months ago she was working as a counsellor and providing peer support for the Afghan Landmine Survivors Organization (ALSO). Now she is unemployed, but she still does a lot of social volunteer work. Nickbakht is a very smart girl and hopes to continue studying.
Ahmad Sha, 55, is the deputy director and founder of the Community Center for the Disabled (CCD), an Afghan NGO. He lost both hands to a landmine in the Nangarhar province. He very proudly states that four of his children attend university; one of them actually has two majors - social science and engineering.
Norya hangs out inside the Dasht-e-barchi sub office of the Community Center for the Disabled (CCD), an Afghan NGO, in Kabul. Norea is an inspiring table tennis player who won first prize in a national competition where she was also awarded a trophy for her force of character. She is a member of the National Afghan Paralympics team. When CCD first met with Norya she was very shy because of her disability. After receiving counselling, CCD sent her to a private school where she discovered table tennis. Norya trained very hard and was selected to go to the 2012 Paralympics in London, however, she didn’t go because her family wouldn’t allow her to participate.
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Malik Mohammad, 20, shows how he can walk on his hands at the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. Malik is a landmine survivor who lost both of his legs near the airport in Kabul. Before the accident Malik worked in a bakery. After the accident he tried many different sports including basketball, skiing, swimming, surfing and running. His favorite is swimming, though, and recently, running. His next competition is the 2014 Asian Paralympics Games in South Korea, where he will compete as a swimmer.
Sattar, 15, is totally blind. Sattar walks along an abandoned house near his home in the village of Shibarto, in Bamyan province. He has never gone to school, he always stays home and his family has not provided him with any form of identification cards. Sometimes families living in remote areas are unaware they can register with the government and receive a small pension for disabled family members.
Khulam Ali, 29, is a landmine survivor and double amputee. Twice a day, Khulam walks 5km to and from work in the province of Bamyan. He runs a small grocery shop and manages to make enough for a living. Occasionally he finds people who give him a lift, but most of the time he has to walk. Khulam is having problems with his prostheses and has been trying to get new ones for the past four months.
Razya, 31, with her 3-year-old daughter Hasina, begs on one of the main streets in Mazar-e-Sharif. Since giving birth to her daughter, Razya has not been able to walk. When she became ill she didn(***)t have enough money to pay a doctor so her health got worse, leaving her almost paralysed. Her husband sells vegetables in the street but he doesn’t make enough money to support the family.
Sakina, 18, (left) and Fatima, 22, weave carpets in the village of Aliabad, in Mazar-e-Sharif. Sakina has cerebral palsy and her left leg is shorter and weaker than the right one. Fatima became mute after an infection in her throat. Thirty-four-year-old Khawarnot (not in the photo), trains them to weave carpets. The project is organised by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA). Sakina uses orthotics and a walking stick to move around.
Fatima, 25, prepares the oven to bake bread for her family and neighbours. Fatima suffered a serious infection in her face when she was nine years old and she lost part of her chin bone. She is paid 10 Afghani for every loaf of bread. Before the infection she worked as a shepherd in the Province of Ghur, her home. People avoid survivors of facial diseases. Nobody wants to speak to them, and they are left isolated. People don’t even want to look at them. When Fatima’s brother got married, he decided to offer Fatima as a wife to his future brother-in-law. She is now married with two children.
Zubair, 28, is training in a private swimming pool in the city of Kabul. Zubair lost his hand in a landmine when he was seven years old. Now he is a member of the national Paralympics team as a swimmer but he also practices other disciplines, including Taekwondo and running. In 2012 he won a silver medal at the Southeast Asian Paralympics games in Taekwondo.
Sayed, 25, is a landmine survivor and double amputee. Sayed has to climb a hill on his way to the grocery store where he works part-time in the city of Bamyan. During the day he attends university, where he recently enrolled in the psychology department. Twice a day he walks 4.6 km in order to attend class.

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