Five years on, Afghanistan still bears scars of war

What the report says

Kabul-based reporting from Xinhua, published by The Independent Uganda, marks five years since the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan and argues that the country is still dealing with the human and economic consequences of the 20-year war. The article centers on a newly released English-language book by Muhajer Farahi, Afghanistan’s deputy minister for publications, which recounts civilian deaths, displacement, destruction and detention during the U.S.-led military presence from 2001 to 2021.

The piece combines Farahi’s account with testimony from several Afghans who say the conflict left lasting personal trauma. It describes a 2009 bombardment in Farah province, a 2019 airstrike in Nangarhar that killed members of two related households, and the detention of Afghans at facilities including Bagram and Guantanamo Bay. It also revisits the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, including the death of teenage footballer Zaki Anwari near Kabul International Airport and the airport suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State.

The report says the aftermath of the withdrawal has been shaped by frozen Afghan central bank assets, sanctions, reduced aid and a weakening economy. It adds that unemployment, poverty and food insecurity worsened after the Taliban returned to power. As presented in the article, the broader point is that the war’s legacy is still visible in destroyed communities, unresolved grief and continuing economic hardship.