The Mirror (UK): These images show the faces of Afghanistan’s people – in a region where the Taliban no longer exercise their rule of terror. Locals from the Afghan Pamir – an area between Tajikistan and Pakistan – are grateful for the peace of their region. Photographed by travelling snapper Eric Lafforgue, they live in a
IBI Times: Jessica Fulford-Dobson’s photo series Skate Girls of Kabul is a simplistic, yet poignant documentation of girls who have joined a skate club in the Afghan capital. The programme, run by international non-profit organisation, Skateistan, uses skateboarding and education as a means of youth empowerment. The series has gained worldwide acclaim for both Jessica and
The Independent (UAE): A group of Afghan artists and activists are painting graffiti on the walls of government buildings, businesses and embassies in Kabul. They call themselves the Afghan “Banksy”. Click here to view more photos (external link).
Wired: Anna Loshkin’s photographs show people relaxing in the most ordinary ways. Singing pop songs in a karaoke bar. Crashing bumper cars at an amusement park. Playing paintball. They could be in any city in the US, but they’re in Afghanistan. “Even in a war zone, you still want to have fun,” she says. Click here
Xinhua: About 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,560 others wounded in conflict-related violence and Taliban-led attacks in first half of the year, according to UN mission officials in the country. Click here to view photos (external link).
Xinhua: There are estimated 1.5 million drug addicts in Afghanistan. Drug addiction is often the result of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, trauma from continuing conflicts and migration, according to health officials. Click here to view photos (external link).
BBC News: A group of Afghan activists and artists are attempting to reclaim Kabul after years of war – by arming themselves with paintbrushes. Because of the poor security situation, many defensive walls have sprung up around high-profile buildings in the city, and these provide the ArtLords with their canvases. Click here for more (external link).
ICRC: In 2009, James Nachtwey joined us in Afghanistan, where the authorities allowed him to take photographs in a prison visited by the ICRC. Today, seven years later, the ICRC is still working with detainees in Afghanistan, visiting them to check on their conditions and helping them stay in touch with their families. Click here for
Khaama Press: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday approved the restoration work of the historic Dar-ul-Aman Palace in capital Kabul. The President informed regarding the approval of the restoration work of the palace in an online statement posted on official Twitter account. “Shattered Dar-ul-Aman Palace is a reminder of our darkest days. Thus, I’ve approved its
ACLU: Today, after more than a decade of legal battles and stonewalling, the Department of Defense released 198 photos relating to prisoner abuse by U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. The photos were released in response to an ACLU lawsuit that we have been litigating for almost 12 years. But what they don’t show is a much