Skip to main contentLast week, Doctors Without Borders pulled the plug on its huge operations in Afghanistan--a bombshell from one of the world's most respected humanitarian outfits--after five of its workers were killed in a June 2 ambush. Announcing its withdrawal, the Brussels-based group blasted both the Afghan government and U.S. military for failing to make the war-torn country safe.
The move pushed Afghanistan, long overshadowed by Iraq, back into the headlines and raised questions about the 200-strong Afghan aid operation run by Portland's own Mercy Corps, active in the war-torn country since 1986.
WW sat down with Kim Johnston, who oversees Afghanistan operations from Mercy Corps' Portland office, and Mahmoud Khan, a 25-year-old Afghan who helps run MC computer systems in Kabul, Kandahar and Iraq. Though both say MC doesn't plan to ditch Afghanistan, they said the country's future remains decidedly in doubt.
WW: Doctors Without Borders claims the U.S. military puts aid workers in danger by blurring the line between military and humanitarian operations. Is that true?
Kim Johnston: It's very real. U.S. military teams do both security and rehabilitation efforts. They won't wear uniforms, but they will be armed. It's a very confusing message. When we go out, people think we must be military: "Where's your gun?"
Mahmoud, you're an Afghan; you work for Mercy Corps. What are your fears?
Mahmoud Khan: In northern Afghanistan, it's not a problem. If I travel to southern Afghanistan [where the Taliban movement originated], carrying Mercy Corps documents, in a Mercy Corps vehicle--I wouldn't do that.
Is that because you worry people will think you're military?
MK: I'm not worried about most people--they might be rude, but I don't think they would cause a life-threatening problem. The main thing is the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Has the military focus in Iraq hurt aid efforts in Afghanistan?
KJ: We had a wonderful window of opportunity after the bombing to really go in and rebuild the country, as we said we'd do. Then Iraq happened so quickly, and attention and money were diverted. Mercy Corps operations have shrunk--this is the smallest program we've had in years, at a time when Afghanistan's needs are greater than ever. The donor funds aren't there. It's the U.S. government, it's private donors, it's the international community, everyone. I went to Afghanistan in early 2002, just after the invasion, and we had expat staff living in Khandahar and we were able to travel pretty much normally. Now all of our international staff stays in Kabul, and we can't use our vehicles or put signs on our buildings. It's frustrating, because it should be the opposite.
Mahmoud, do you think Afghans feel like the United States didn't keep its promises?
MK: Some people talk about it. People think it's great the previous regime is gone, and to see the progress is good. There are roads being built. In southern Afghanistan, there's more electricity. But they also think the U.S. and the government should have gotten rid of all the local militias in a short period of time, and now people think it will take years. They're happy about the elections, but they're worried that afterwards, the U.S. and the other countries will just leave.
DWB's pull-out has sparked fears of a mass exodus of aid organizations. Do you think that's a danger?
KJ: I'm not too worried about that. I think...I'm not too worried. That's what I'll say. You worry about the copycat thing, like the kidnappings in Iraq. The NGOs are realizing this is how it's going to be. So unless things change dramatically, no.
What would it take to push Mercy Corps out?
KJ: There are some things beyond which we wouldn't tolerate. But it's not like we can look at page 10 in the manual and say, "Oh, OK, it's time to leave." There's a commitment there, though--if we leave, the bad guys win.
Mahmoud, you grew up in refugee camps in Pakistan. What's it like to be back?
MK: I went back in July 2002. I'd been in Pakistan for 10 or 12 years. It's strange--it's easier to live in Pakistan because the infrastructure is so much better, but the feeling of being in our own country overrides other feelings. You can adjust to everything else.
You're an IT guy in a country that's...not very technologically advanced. What are the challenges there?
MK: Everything overheats. The electricity fluctuates a lot. And dust... the routers suck the dust in. If there's a piece of equipment that has a three-year lifespan in the U.S., the lifespan in Afghanistan is probably one year.
KJ: And you can't get on the roof to fix your satellite antennas, because if you can see into a neighbor's family compound, you can get shot.
MK: Well, you can go knock on the door and tell them what you're doing. Then it's OK.
WWeek 2015