The Extreme Tourist: Afghanistan

This is the first in a series of "Extreme Travel" destination articles.
If you have experienced some rather unusual trips of your own, feel free to share them here with a comment!

Travel to Afghanistan contains an inherent amount of risk, and should not be regarded in the same manner as a traditional backpacker's destination. While the security situation in the country was good under the Taliban regime, the Karzai administration has struggled to impose central control on the regions, and ISAF remains largely confined to Kabul and its immediate environs. There has been a return to warlordism in large parts of the country, and certain areas susceptible to banditry or armed instability. Afghanistan is also one of the most heavily land-mined countries in the world. As such, all potential travellers should take steps to reduce their chances of exposing themselves to risk.

Always check the current situation on the ground before entering the country. The best sources are news services and those who have recently visited Afghanistan. News websites are listed under links; also see also Afghanistan Information Management Service (AIMS) and ReliefWeb, which offer security information, such as the weekly World Food Programme Weekly Situation Report. For those working in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan NGO Security Office (ANSO) in Kabul can provide security briefings. Those staying long-term in Afghanistan may also find the ECHO publication Generic Security Guide for Humanitarian Organisations useful, which can be downloaded from their website.

A short wave radio is useful for staying in touch with the news while travelling inside the country. Acquiring a working knowledge of recent Afghan history, local customs and a basic understanding of Islam is also to be highly recommended before travelling. Since 2002, many countries have re-opened their embassies in Kabul. It is worth registering your presence in the country with them, even though they can only provide the most limited consular assistance.

The security situation varies widely across the country, with some areas better than others. The lack of general countrywide security is a result of the failure of the international community to expand their mandate outside Kabul after the fall of the Taliban, and the continued support offered to warlords by the USA. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has produced an excellent paper Minimal Investments, Minimal Results: The Failure of Security Policy in Afghanistan which analyses the failure of security provision in the country - published in June 2004 its conclusions are still relevant. Another useful paper is NGO Insecurity in Afghanistan, published in April 2005 by CARE and ANSO.

As a general rule, the eastern and southern provinces of Afghanistan - the Pashtun heartland - should be regarded as extremely high-risk areas for foreigners. Helmand, Oruzgan, Zabol and large parts of Kandahar provinces are the nexus of continued fighting by Taliban remnants, despite US-Afghan army operations and Kabul's efforts to bring some Taliban back into the fold. Kunar, Laghman, Nangahar, Logar, Paktia and Paktika provinces should likewise be regarded as largely off-limits, due to supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and the proximity to the Pakistan border, where sympathy for al-Qaeda and resentment of the government runs high. These areas are also prone to unpredictable unrest, such as the violent anti-American protests in several Pashtun towns and cities in May 2005.

Bomb attacks and kidnapping of foreigners has increased in Kabul since mid-2004.

The north is generally more stable. Taliban activity is not an issue here, but a more pervasive lawlessness is. Despite the success of the UN's disarmament programme in decommissioning heavy weapons, the country is awash with small arms, and disbanded militias can still present a problem as supporters of local strong-men and enacting banditry. Badghis province in the northwest is the most persistently problematic province for security, and the NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres withdrew completely from Afghanistan after the murder of five of their staff in Badghis in early 2004.

More detailed security information for specific regions is provided on the relevant pages. Even where areas are listed as stable, unexpected or opportune incidents can still occur, and the lack of central state control can mean a lack of trustworthy law enforcement in even the calmest of regions. Again, the need to seek reliable sources of information before travelling should be stressed.

Landmines
Afghanistan is littered with landmines- never walk off the beaten path. If locals avoid a particular area, so should you. Take a guide and don’t walk alone in unknown areas. When travelling by road, stay on the road when answering the call of nature. As well as mines, there is a risk from unexploded ordnance (UXOs), including bomblets dropped by US forces in the 2001-2002 air campaign. A visit to the Landmine Museum run by OMAR (Organisation for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation) in Kabul is highly recommended.

Remember, landmines are laid to be invisible.

In Afghanistan, rocks are marked with red paint to signify dangerous areas or known minefields. The rocks are repainted white when the area is cleared. However, not all areas are marked. Landmines and UXOs can be found in the following places:

Unused footpaths and tracks, verges of roads, around culverts and bridge abutments, alongside walls (particularly damaged buildings, around wells and water access points, in irrigation channels, around (abandoned) military posts and destroyed vehicles.

DO NOT touch or move interesting/unknown objects, leave well-worn paths or tracks, or walk in unknown areas without a local guide.

DO seek information on local mine problems and take a local guide, retrace you steps out of a suspect area when possible, stay alert to telltale signs for landmines and UXOs. Trust your judgement and don’t follow others blindly.

If you see a landmine or UXO: stop, stay calm and think. Shout a warning to others near you, and turn around and retrace your steps slowly and exactly. Once on safe ground, mark the danger area with a line of rocks and inform the nearest NGO demining office or authorities immediately.

(Landmine guidelines reproduced with thanks to the Essential Field Guide: Afghanistan.)

General Health
A malaria risk exists in regions of Afghanistan under an elevation of 2000m. June to November is the primary transmission season, and although the disease is mainly found in rural areas, a high risk exists in the cities of Kandahar and Jalalabad where agricultural and residential areas overlap. Kabul lies above the malarial zone. Take anti-malarial precautions where necessary. Diarrhoea is also a risk when travelling - carry oral rehydration salts and do not assume water is safe to drink unless treated to make it so. Depleted uranium (DU) weapons were used on a large scale in Afghanistan by the US army, which may present a large-scale future health risk for the population.
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