Our Work in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a storied land, a country that for centuries existed on the outer edge of great empires, yet avoided the grasp of them all, thanks to its rugged mountains and fiercely independent people. But a punishing Soviet occupation in the 1980s, decades of uninterrupted civil war and the low status of women, have taken their toll on the population. Today, Afghans have one of the lowest life expectancies (44 years) and highest infant mortality rates (over 150 deaths per thousand live births) in the world. One of every four children dies before their first birthday. About three-quarters of the population have no access to clean drinking water and continued armed conflict makes security tenuous for civilians, who also find it difficult to obtain basic services when much of the country is inaccessible to international assistance agencies.
Despite the unsettled security conditions, International Medical Corps has tended to Afghan health care needs for over a quarter of a century. Today, we are the number one non-government organization working in Afghanistan in the field of hospital management. We provide support to two major hospitals in Kabul and one in the eastern border province Paktika. Other programs include community midwife education in Khost and Paktika, support for returning Afghan refugees, and an integrated community health care program in the mountainous northeastern province of Nuristan.