On the streets of Kabul, people stop and stare at a sight they haven't seen in five long years: a woman's face—sometimes complete with a smile—beaming in public. Sounds that haven't been heard in many years are also returning to Afghanistan. Music blares from shops. Laughter rings out as kids once again fly kites. Under the harsh rule of the Taliban government, such simple pleasures were forbidden. Now as the Taliban loses its grip on the country, life is changing.
For the past few weeks, pressure has been mounting on the Taliban. Fighters belonging to the Northern Alliance have taken control of many of Afghanistan's cities, including Kabul, Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif. As each city fell from Taliban control, citizens embraced new freedoms. Men lined up at barber shops to shave the beards the Taliban had required. Shops did a brisk business selling TV sets, which had been outlawed.
Last Monday, some 600 U.S. Marines landed in Afghanistan and began setting up a base at an airstrip near Kandahar, the last big city still controlled by the Taliban. The Marines, who will eventually number about 1,100, are on a mission to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other members of his al-Qaeda terrorist organization.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says the Marines will "prevent terrorists from moving freely around the country." Military leaders are worried that bin Laden may try to leave his mountain hideout and escape from Afghanistan. They are watching the mountain passes along the long border with Pakistan.
Lifting the Veil
The Afghan people suffered greatly under Taliban rule. But
women suffered the most. Afghan women had to wear a burka, a garment that
covered them from head to toe, or risk being beaten by Taliban religious
police. They could not leave their homes unless accompanied by a male relative.
Windows in houses were painted black so that passersby could not see the face
of a woman inside. The Taliban banned women from working except in a small
number of health-care jobs. Now Kabul's sole television station features a
woman announcer. She does not even wear a veil!
The Taliban did not allow girls over the age of 8 to go to school. A recent United Nations report estimated that only 7% of Afghan girls were in school, compared with about 50% of the boys. Last week, girls and their female teachers were eagerly returning to schools.
The life expectancy of Afghan women is just 44 years. Dr. Rahmima Zafar Staniczai is the head of a hospital for women in Kabul. She remembers how Taliban men would hit and spit at her in the street anytime they caught her rushing to work uncovered. But she says what women wear is not the most important issue. "First, we need peace. Then we need a central government. Then we need education. After all that, we will be in a position to make a decision about the burka," she says.
The Hunger Crisis
Although the future looks brighter for many Afghans,
hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war face a harsh, hungry winter.
They have little food or shelter. UNICEF estimates that up to 100,000 children
could starve to death in Afghanistan if relief supplies do not arrive soon.
In the north near Mazar-i-Sharif, 250,000 hungry people are living in camps. Tons of food, clothes and medicine are stockpiled less than 100 miles away in Uzbekistan, but the route to the camps is dangerous. Rebel commanders charge a "tax" and steal much of the aid. Winter weather will make the journey for aid caravans even more difficult.
"There has been a humanitarian crisis here for years," says Stephan Goetghebuer of the aid group Doctors Without Borders. "Now it's becoming a disaster."
What's Next?
Afghanistan was a war zone long before the Taliban arrived.
Now, after 22 years of war, Afghans are searching for a way to bring order to
their shattered land. Last week, delegates from four different Afghan groups
met in Germany to discuss the formation of a government. Some delegates want to
see the return of Mohammed Zahir Shah, the Afghan king who was overthrown in
1973. The groups discussed whether they would allow outside peacekeepers into
Afghanistan. "The Afghan problem has never had so much attention," says the
U.N.'s Ahmad Fawzi. "If we don't seize this opportunity, it will be a very
grave mistake."