Crisis+in+Afghanistan

= =  The crisis in Afghanistan started with Russia invading Afghanistan around the 1970s. Once the Russians had been in Afghanistan for 10 years or so the Taliban took over. Once that happened the Taliban ruined Afghan culture with limiting activities such as kite flying. The Afghan life style has never been the same since. This is why Amir and Baba fled to the U.S. Z.B.



 Families are affected greatly when there is war in their country. The kids of these families are affected the most. The Taliban has invaded and taken the rights away from the children. Political groups have sexually abused kids and the strict law of the Taliban has kept girls from an education. Even worse than this, kids have been deliberately killed during the fights. Women have had many restrictions put upon them. Women can be beaten or even killed for wearing the wrong type of clothing. Z.B.

 A food shortage has also made life in Afghanistan hard on its people. The food shortage in Afghanistan has been ideal for the Taliban. Men struggling to provide for their families have been easy targets for the Taliban. The lack of food has been so severe that some families rely on eating dried grass to survive. Families have to eat what was once fed to cattle, grains and grasses such as alfalfa and other vegetables. This type of diet, especially with children, can lead to susceptibility to diarrhea and malnourishment. This food shortage has left many families and children starving. A.R.

 Other effects of the war in Afghanistan are widowed women and abandoned children. There is an estimated 1.5 million widows and in Kabul alone, there are 50-70,000 women left without husbands due to the fighting. There are over 60,000 children in Afghanistan that are addicted to drugs. Afghan becoming the biggest supplier of drugs such as opium. Women have to rely on prostitution to make a living, and the men become drug dealers. Another 100,000 kids are disabled. These disabilities are due to the prolonged conflicts in the country. A.R. media type="custom" key="5551201"

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[] [] [|http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/03/10/afghanistan-food-shortages-cause-grass-eating-displacement.htmlhttp://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/01/30/bleak-prospects-for-estimated-1-5-million-widows-in-afghanistan.html] Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini