After Hidayatullah was born with clubfeet, his mother was referred to Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation center in Kandahar.

Hidayatullah was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2021. After his diagnosis with clubfeet, his mother shared her fears with the doctors: Would her son be able to stand up? Would he be able to walk one day?

The doctors immediately referred Hidayatullah and his mother to Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in Kandahar, the only rehabilitation center in southern Afghanistan. After examining the baby, HI’s physical therapists quickly reassured his mother that they could treat him.

There were several stages to Hidayatullah’s treatment. First, his feet were put in casts. These casts were changed every week for several weeks to make gradual corrections and slowly straighten the position of his feet.

"This process went on for a while, but my son's feet were getting into the right position and shape, which gave me hope," explains Hidayatullah's mother.

HI’s teams then fitted Hidayatullah with an orthopedic brace: small shoes with a bar attached. He wore his “boots” for almost a year, keeping his feet turned outward. Throughout this period, the baby was monitored by HI’s teams. Checks and adjustments would be needed until he reached walking age.

Hidayatullah's treatment went smoothly. Today, he is standing up, ready to take his first steps – and his family is reassured.

"My son can now play with the other children,” his mother says. “He can stand and walk with his own feet that are straight now. I hope he will be a good student at school. My whole family and I are happy now, and grateful for the services and staff at HI."

More than a year after U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban seized control, Humanity & Inclusion's teams continue to work with civilians injured in conflict.

These photos show three children who are thriving with rehabilitation care and psychosocial support.

Sosan, 13, from Naw Badam

One day, when Sosan and her father were out for a walk, she was hit in the leg by a bullet. Her father rushed her to hospital, but she lost the use of her leg.

Sosan was given rehabilitation sessions to learn to walk again using a walker. She talked to Marzia, a psychologist with Humanity & Inclusion, who helped her cope with the sadness she was feeling. Today, Sosan is back at school.

"Whenever I have any free time, I draw, sew or read. I love reading books in English. After my studies, I want to become an English teacher.” 

Asef, 10, from Herat

One day, on their way to school, Asef and his friends approached an unfamiliar object. It was a mine. It exploded, killing his sister and cousins. Asef lost his right leg in the accident. With the support of Humanity & Inclusion, Asef received an artificial limb and crutches. He is now having rehabilitation sessions to learn to walk again.

"Thanks to the help of Dr Hashimi, I can walk again. In the day, I go to the mosque and draw at home. My school is too far away, so I can't go back there yet. But as soon as I’m better, I want to go back to school. Then I can become a doctor myself and help other people.” 

Yasamin, 8, from Herat

Yasamin was injured by shelling as her family attempted to flee their village. Strengthening her muscles with physical therapy and using a leg brace, she's able to walk again and has returned to school.

After surviving an explosive remnant of war accident, Enayatullah’s right leg was amputated. Now, he’s walking again with the help of an artificial limb and rehabilitation care provided by Humanity & Inclusion.

Enayatullah, 9, was playing with a group of children in his village in Afghanistan, when they came across some explosive remnants of war. The devices exploded, killing four of them and injuring six others—including Enayatullah and his eight-year-old cousin. No one knows for certain what kind of explosive remnants the children found, but they were most likely munitions left over from the fighting in the area in 2021.

Enayatullah was rushed 20 miles to Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar where he stayed for 40 days. The surgeons tried to save his right leg, but it was too damaged and had to be amputated. When his health improved, he was referred to Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center, which first opened in 1996.

During the first sessions, he was very nervous, still traumatized by the accident. But he gradually learned to trust the team and worked hard on his physical therapy exercises.  

Since his first consultation in November, he has visited the center five times for physical rehabilitation sessions. He was also given walking aids, had a cast made for his artificial leg and attended fittings until the device was finally ready for use. In the future, Enayatullah will return to the center to have his artificial limb repaired and replaced as he grows.

Today, Enayatullah is independent and able to walk on his own again. He can play with his friends, go to school and visit relatives. He likes to play with toy cars and wants to be a truck driver when he grows up.

Mohammad Rasool manages Humanity & Inclusion’s programs in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He provides insight into the country’s dire humanitarian situation, one year after the Taliban seized power.

Since the Taliban took control of the Afghan government in August 2021, the humanitarian context has deteriorated significantly. Facing an economic collapse, devastating drought and consequences of war, people find it difficult to simply survive.

Q: What is the humanitarian situation in Kandahar today?

The humanitarian context is still complex. There has been no improvement in food insecurity and unemployment and poverty are widespread. The financial system is not fully functional, with businesses unable to access their funds in the banks, for example. Inflation, drought and recent flooding in some districts have exacerbated the situation.

Humanitarian needs are huge and have not been fully met by the assistance that the international community pledged in August 2021. As for mine action programs, funding has been cut, which is increasing the exposure and vulnerability of communities living in areas contaminated with mines and other explosive remnants of war.

Q: What is daily life like in Kandahar?

People are extremely anxious about their future. The daily life of women and girls has been very seriously affected. For almost a year now, girls have not been allowed to go to school beyond 7^th grade. Thousands of girls and women are very concerned about their education and future.

Q: Is Humanity & Inclusion still able to work with and for women?

Our female staff have been able to continue working in the provincial capital and six districts of Kandahar province. The credit for this goes to our committed field staff for their active engagement with community elders and local representatives, and to the authorities for facilitating access to our life-saving activities in conflict-affected and underserved areas.

Q: What services does the Humanity & Inclusion team offer?

Humanity & Inclusion provides rehabilitation care, as the country’s health system is unable to meet the demand. Given the scarcity of physical therapy services, we have developed a 3-year training curriculum and are currently training some 120 future physical therapists. We also provide psychosocial support to many people suffering from stress and anxiety, as there are very few mental health services in the country. And we conduct risk education sessions, as the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war remain a daily threat to the population.

Lastly, Humanity & Inclusion teams in Kunduz and Herat have started distributing cash assistance to support families with the lowest income. Between six and nine allowances of $200 are being paid to 1,600 households to enable them to buy food and access basic services such as healthcare.

Q: What kinds of people do you see at the rehabilitation center?

We had more than 700 cases in June. Most of the disabilities are congenital or due to birth defects or road or domestic accidents. Fifty cases were due to injuries caused by armed violence.

Fortunately, we are not seeing any new cases of war victims. There has also been a reduction in the number of new victims of mine or explosive remnants of war accidents. This is largely due to Humanity & Inclusion’s mine risk educators who raise the awareness of thousands of children and adults in at-risk areas each month.

Rehabilitation needs in general are still huge. People come to the center every day, some of them from very far away. There are only two rehabilitation centers serving the south of the country, so for some families the journey to the center can take a whole day. Since August 2021, we have seen a significant increase in patient numbers. Now that the fighting, the roadblocks and the strict security measures have ended, more people are able to get to us. We are currently seeing more than 130 people a week at the Kandahar center.

Q: How clear is the link between disability and explosive devices in Afghanistan?

Based on the data from our center, the majority of people with acquired disabilities are victims of explosive devices, landmines and other remnants of war. In Afghanistan, disability prevalence is very high; 80% of the adult population has some form of disability due to mines and explosive remnants of war, armed conflicts or limited access to health and nutrition services.

Q: How have the activities at the center been expanded?

Last June, Humanity & Inclusion opened a Step-Down Unit at the Kandahar rehabilitation center. This unit is designed to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted transition from acute trauma care to comprehensive rehabilitation services for patients with complex injuries and a high risk of complications and permanent disability. It also provides healthcare services for musculoskeletal and neurological sub-acute conditions that require comprehensive early rehabilitation care.

The unit adopts an interdisciplinary approach (health, rehabilitation and psychosocial support services) during the early comprehensive rehabilitation phase. It also ensures the provision of psychosocial support for patients and relief for caregivers, and accompanies the recovery process through further follow-up at the rehabilitation center, outpatient care and community inclusion.

Humanity & Inclusion’s team of doctors and nurses provides a 24/7 service at the Step-Down Unit. Between June 6 and July 26 alone, they admitted and treated 56 patients: 28 men, 16 women, six boys and six girls.

After an unexploded ordnance accident, Imran receives rehabilitation care and new artificial limbs from Humanity & Inclusion’s specialists.

Imran, 7, was playing with his friends when the imaginable happened.

 “I was climbing the hill in Kohak village with my friends,” he explains. “I saw something strange and when I touched it, it blew up.”

Imran’s father took him to Mirwais Regional Hospital, where he was admitted for surgery. Imran’s injuries were so severe that doctors amputated both of the boy’s legs.

As Imran recovered from the operation, he was referred to Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in Kandahar, Afghanistan. There, measurements were taken to make him two custom-fit artificial limbs. After he was fitted, Humanity & Inclusions’s physical therapists helped him strengthen his muscles to walk again. He also received a wheelchair to assist him with his daily living. 

Imran is returning back to his routine.

“I feel like I’ve got my legs back,” Imran exclaims. “I can walk again and play with my friends.”  

Imran’s father, who is a driver for a living, is committed to supporting his family and his son’s recovery.

”I am committed to getting him back to school and will support him to finish his studies,” he says.

HI's rehabilitation center

Located in Kandahar, Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation center treats people with conflict-related injuries, often caused by explosive devices. Survivors of serious accidents, patients with diabetes-related amputations and people with polio are also among those receive physical therapy services. The center is staffed by 52 professionals specializing in physical therapy or psychosocial support work. It is the only rehabilitation center in southern Afghanistan.

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Amina, 7, was seriously injured in a missile attack during heavy fighting in Afghanistan in July 2021. She’s learned to walk again, with rehabilitation care and an artificial limb from Humanity & Inclusion.

Amina was walking to school with her parents and sisters when the missiles struck. Her mother and two of her sisters were killed in the attack.

Her father was also injured, causing paralysis of his right arm. He lost his job. To survive, he now sells chewing gum and cookies from a cart outside his house and is supported by relatives and neighbors. (Amina and her father are pictured above.)

Amina is close with her father, who is now a single parent after his wife’s untimely death. He promises to be there for his daughter, to play with her and to help her overcome the trauma of losing her mother and sisters.

Learning to walk again

Amina’s right leg was so severely injured that she required a surgical amputation. Since January 2022, Humanity & Inclusion’s physical therapy specialists have been teaching her to walk again.

The team measured her leg to make a customized artificial limb, and gave her mobility exercises to do at home. She was also given a walking frame to help her get around on her own until her artificial leg was ready.

After a few weeks, Amina received her artificial limb and began rehabilitation sessions at Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in Kandahar to help her adapt to it.

When she started her rehabilitation, Amina was sad and frustrated. She found it challenging to walk with her artificial limb without the help of a walking frame. But the many exercises paid off, and today she can walk on her own.

Amina’s most recent visit to the rehabilitation center was in March for a consultation and some minor repairs to her artificial limb. She will continue to visit the center regularly to replace and repair her artificial leg.

Humanity & Inclusion’s physical rehabilitation center in Kandahar is the only facility in the area where people with disabilities are provided with services free of charge.

HI's rehabilitation center

Located in Kandahar, Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation center treats people with conflict-related injuries, often caused by explosive devices. Survivors of serious accidents, patients with diabetes-related amputations and people with polio are also among those receive physical therapy services. The center is staffed by 52 professionals specializing in physical therapy or psychosocial support work. It is the only rehabilitation center in southern Afghanistan.

Irshadullah is one of the countless civilian victims of violence in Afghanistan. As is too often the case, his injury left him with a permanent disability. Humanity & Inclusion was there to help him start over.

In July 2021, Irshadullah was cycling near his home when his left leg was hit by a bullet fired from an armed convoy. His father took him to the regional hospital in Mirwais where his leg was amputated. He was then referred to Humanity & Inclusion’s physical rehabilitation center in Kandahar for physical therapy and an artificial limb.

For a week, Irshadullah was led through physical therapy exercises to strengthen his amputated leg so he would be able to wear an artificial limb. Specialists then took a mold of his leg to make a customized device.

“I’m happy with my artificial leg,” Irshadullah says. "I can go about my daily activities normally and I can walk without difficulty."

Irshadullah can also return to school and help his father with the garden again.

HI's rehabilitation center

Located in Kandahar, Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation center treats people with conflict-related injuries, often caused by explosive devices. Survivors of serious accidents, patients with diabetes-related amputations and people with polio are also among those receive physical therapy services. The center is staffed by 52 professionals specializing in physical therapy or psychosocial support work. It is the only rehabilitation center in southern Afghanistan.

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Fazal, 18, lost his leg in a mine accident. Humanity & Inclusion is providing him with rehabilitation care.

When he was 16, Fazal worked in a garden in Kandahar, picking pomegranates. One day, the vehicle that Fazal and his co-workers were traveling in on their way to work ran over a mine on the side of the road. The explosion was terrible. Fazal was severely wounded. One of his co-workers was killed and two others were injured.

Fazal spent more than two months in a hospital in Kabul, where he underwent surgery to amputate his leg.

At Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in Kandahar, a team of specialists immediately provided him with crutches so that he could get around on his own. Measurements were taken of his amputated leg so he could be fitted with an artificial leg. Fazal worked with experts to complete physical therapy exercises to strengthen his muscles and adapt to walking with the artificial limb.

“Now I can do my daily tasks by myself without the help of a member of my family,” Fazal explains. "I feel hopeful about the future."

Opened in 1996, Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in Kandahar treats people injured by explosive weapons. It is the only rehabilitation center in southern Afghanistan. Survivors of other accidents, individuals with diabetes-related amputations and people with polio are among other patients treated by the 52 professionals specialized in physical therapy or psychosocial support at the clinic.

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Mohammad Rasool manages Humanity & Inclusion’s programs in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where the organization has been running a rehabilitation center since 1996.

Due to a collapsing economy, drought and consequences following years of war, the humanitarian context has significantly deteriorated. Since U.S. military troops left and the government was overturned in August, people have been flocking to the Kandahar rehabilitation center.

What kinds of people visit the rehabilitation center in Kandahar?

The vast majority of people are victims of the war and of explosive weapons. Last November, I met an 8-year-old girl from Zabul Province, which neighbors Kandahar. A mortar bomb hit her house while she was playing at home with her cousins. She was badly injured in the blast, and she was taken to several hospitals for treatment. Her father and family live on very little income, unable to afford the cost of transportation to Kandahar. After many difficult months, her family finally managed to transport her to Kandahar where she received treatment. Unfortunately, by then, her left leg had to be amputated.

Humanity & Inclusion’s team at the center worked with the young girl for several weeks as she recovered from the operation. We provided rehabilitation sessions to increase her mobility, strength and balance. Finally, when she was ready, measurements were taken and she received a prosthetic leg.  

What is the rehabilitation landscape in Afghanistan?

The rehabilitation needs are immense. People come to the center every day, sometimes from very far away. For some families, the journey to the center takes an entire day, as there are only two rehabilitation centers that serve the south of the country. Since August 2021, we have seen a major increase in patient numbers. More people have been able to access the center since the fighting; roadblocks and strict security measures have ended. Now, we receive more than 100 people a week at the Kandahar center.

How strong is the connection between disability and explosive remnants of war?

Based on our data from the center, the majority of the people have acquired disabilities following contact with explosives, landmines and other remnants of war. In Afghanistan, the prevalence of disability is very high: 80% of the Afghan population has some form of disability due to the presence of mines, explosive remnants of war, armed conflicts and limited access to health and nutrition services. 

What is the general situation in Afghanistan six months after the Taliban seized power?

More than half the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. People are really struggling with poverty, displacement, drought, and the ongoing risks associated with improvised explosive devices. The country’s health system is overwhelmed and the economy is collapsing. Many struggle just to get food. With no more cash in circulation, civil servants have not been paid for months and people are unable to buy goods.

How is Humanity & Inclusion responding?

Humanity & Inclusion provides rehabilitation care as the medical system in the country is unable to meet the current demand. As physical therapy services are scarce, we have a national plan to train more than 120 physical therapists over the course of a 3-year curriculum. Humanity & Inclusion also provides psychosocial support to many people experiencing stress and anxiety since there are very few mental health services in the country. We also conduct risk education sessions, as the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war remain a daily threat to the population.

Teams in Kunduz and Herat started providing cash assistance to support families with the lowest income. We will provide between six and nine allowances of $200, targeting 1,600 families. This financial support will enable them to buy food and access basic services like medical care.

Humanity & Inclusion in Afghanistan

Humanity & Inclusion has worked in Afghanistan since 1987 and is active in the five provinces Kandahar, Nimroz, Herat, Kunduz, and Kabul. The organization’s actions include physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support, mine risk education, training of new physical therapists and cash assistance.

Annually, Humanity & Inclusion assists approximately 9,000 survivors of conflict and people with disabilities at the physical rehabilitation center in Kandahar alone. Additionally, mobile teams support thousands of internally displaced people, returnees, and people with disabilities annually.

Currently, Humanity & Inclusion has 370 staff, including 114 women, based in Afghanistan.

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Mohammad Rasool is base coordinator for Humanity & Inclusion in Afghanistan, managing our work in the Kandahar and Nimroz provinces. There, our teams are providing rehabilitation and psychosocial support. In this interview, Mohammad describes the situation on the ground.

Q: What is it like living in Afghanistan at the moment?

People are still struggling with poverty, displacement, drought, the risk from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and threat from ISIS. Additionally the country is facing a failing health system and the economy is also on the edge of collapse. So people are highly distressed as they don't know what will happen next in this highly unpredictable situation.

Daily, thousands of people are aiming to leave the country due to protection issues or to seek a better life out of the country. Everywhere in Afghanistan, there is food insecurity and there's a huge need for humanitarian assistance.

Q: What is the level of need for rehabilitation services in Afghanistan?

Even though the conflict is now over, I mean the big conflict between the previous government and the IEA, the battlefields and the districts are still highly contaminated with explosive remnants of war and IEDs. So, of course, the need for physical rehabilitation and risk education, and also for psychosocial support, remains high.

Q: Could you describe how Humanity & Inclusion's teams are supporting people in Afghanistan?

We have several approaches to reach people in need of services, especially rehabilitation, psychosocial support or skill development (which is for income-generating activities).

For instance, we provide support in the rehabilitation center where people are referred to us by other stakeholders including humanitarian partners. And we also have mobile teams. We go to the communities where we deliver the services directly to people. We also refer them for follow-up services to other partners and also to the rehabilitation center if they need further support.

Q: What is the level of injuries at the moment in Afghanistan?

In Kandahar, approximately one-fourth of the people we are seeing in our rehabilitation center are survivors of the conflict. Either they have acquired their injury in the recent conflict in the recent months, or they are the victims of the conflict in the previous years, but they didn't have the opportunity to access the center. We also see people who have injuries from road accidents as well as people who acquired a disability during birth.

Q: Are you able to share the story of a patient that particularly affected you?

I will share one of the story out of a thousand because in our center we are seeing 9,000 patients every year.

One of the people who was referred to us in the recent months was Anisa, an 8-year old girl from Zabul Province (pictured above). A mortar bomb hit her house while she was playing at home with her cousins. She was badly injured and she was taken to several hospitals to treat her.

Unfortunately, her left leg had to be amputated and then she was referred to the rehabilitation center in Kandahar, which is managed by Humanity & Inclusion. Our team at the rehabilitation center worked with her for several weeks to help her recover. She was happy that she could play again with her cousins or go to school.

Q: What are the major challenges you face at the moment?

Certainly, there have been some changes as the new government is not well established yet and the public service remain interrupted. So there are a lot of uncertainties and the new government is trying to introduce new guidelines procedures. Female staff who are working for the public sector, apart from the health sector, are still not able to attend work. We had some challenges related to access for our female staff to our community-based activities. We had a lot of interaction and intensive engagement with new authorities. Finally, we succeeded and access for our female staff was granted.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I like visiting my team while they are delivering services to the people we support. I take the opportunity to directly hear from my team and their patients, listening to their feedback, suggestions and challenges that they face in the day to day activities.

Q: Do you have any message for our supporters here in the U.S.?

Of course, I have a message: The people of Afghanistan really need the support from the international community now more than ever. So please, please don't forget Afghanistan in this difficult time.

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