Lost in a Warring World: Reporting on Afghanistan

Shivering. Scared. Starved.

Sheltered in the blissfully prosperous age of our utopian societies, never could such distress possibly exist anymore. Surely modern medicine has absolved all agony. Surely rapid urbanisation has made us all comfortable. Surely the vast internet has delivered education to every child’s computer. Surely... surely... surely… A list of convenient excuses can be winded round and round again, for as long as our collective ignorance allows. But the truth is far simpler. Whether our leafy bungalows rest in the peaceful suburbs; or our cosmopolitan apartments glimmer among the city skyline, over 82,000,000 humans have currently been forcibly displaced.

This phenomenon is neither new nor shocking. Since the first human settlers began forming complex social structures, the underprivileged have always borne the brunt of all bad turns.

Nowadays, aside from the formidable Mother Nature fighting back against our destructive forces with devastating climate events, the leading cause of refugees is violent warfare. Each drone attack, ambush and siege impacts more than just the soldiers involved. Entire cities have been decimated in the name of power; their ruins a symbol of our innate weakness. Warfare is a malignant virus persisting in the blood vessels of humanity, with no foreseeable cure in sight.

The 20th century promised breakthroughs in communication, transport and technology. Lives would change in this new world emerging on the golden horizon, rapidly globalizing and progressing. Instead, two devastating World Wars rendered over 20 million to refugee status, the repercussions of which topple down into present day. The Partition of India and subsequent wars totaled in 24 million refugees, frantically searching South Asia for a place to call home. Modern history is littered with dozens of such examples, each magnifying our fatal flaws. Our greed for power and domination, trailing a colossal body count behind with it.

An abominable year for Afghanistan’s history, the troubled Asian country is currently undergoing a refugee crisis. Amid the highly controversial US military extraction, the extremist Taliban organisation rapidly gained control, conquering almost every major city. Among rampant chaos, the UN reports almost 2000 civilians killed in various attacks - the real figures remain likely higher. Under their draconian rule, the lives of Afghan civilians are suffocating, akin to being chained in an open air prison. The nation is bracing for arduous months as power struggles ensue. Western nations are weakly scrambling to extract their own citizens from the warzone, forsaking many local allies. Yet, what happens to the lucky few who managed to escape? What happens to the thousands left in a limbo between warring nations and frivolous politics?

Since 2020, over 2 million Afghan refugees have sought salvation in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan, crossing largely on foot. Very few attempt the perilous journey overseas to Europe and even fewer cross into the far West. During this grim period, Bahrain has diverted efforts into aiding refugees, by welcoming them with open arms, conducting charity drives, and even using national airlines for evacuation attempts.Though the island's humble heart is bountiful, it cannot sustain this crisis. The U.S has only accepted 5000 refugees, an abysmally small number considering 60,000 more await approval for the Special Immigrant Visa. Exacerbating their struggle, many countries are sealing their doors shut, such as Russia and Austria refusing to accept asylum seekers by feigning the unlikely risk of also accepting extremists. Relying on feeble generosity from self interested governments is a dangerous play - but the last hand many have left to deal.

Hatred has long clutched humanity with an iron grip, often stronger than the forces of compassion can weaken. Hence, we have propelled ourselves into countless wars, strengthened our borders and built impenetrable walls around each other. The effects may not cripple us utop our ivory towers, but entire generations are lost to this malice. Compassion may be a flowery term spoken by the naive, but naivety is a rare gift in a cruel world. As for refugees pursuing an ambitious life far from the torment of war, compassion is the foremost step to peace.

Manaal Khan 12B