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FROM AFGHANISTAN Chris Daley is working in Yakawlang, northern Afghanistan as a Médecins Sans Frontières logistician. His position involves overseeing the general running of the project, supervising local staff, performing general maintenance and repairs. This is his second mission with Médecins Sans Frontières, after a year-long stint last year in Somalia. Asalaam aleikum. Well, the last few days here in Yakawlang, Afghanistan, have been bloody freezing, not to put too fine a point on it. Last night, the mercury bottomed out at -16 degrees, which is about the coldest I've ever been in my life. Fortunately, we have diesel heaters, but it was still brass monkey weather make no mistake. I arrived in Kabul last Sunday from Dubai and spent a couple of days there. The flight in was pretty uneventful until we landed. Littered along the airstrip is the debris of two decades of war. The snow covered hulks of giant Russian Antonovs, the size of jumbo jets, stand out above the burnt out wrecks of fighter jets, helicopters, tanks and trucks of all shapes and sizes. The arrival lounge, complete with non-functioning conveyor belt, was packed with dozens of foreigners - from aid workers to entrepreneurs and twice as many Afghanis, jockeying for a couple of dollars carrying luggage or more as a translator.
On the following day, myself, Celia and Joserra [the logistics coordinator] climbed into a tiny Cessna for the one hour flight to Yakawlang. I’m not really sure I can properly describe the flight, or more so, the experience of flying over the Hindu Kush. Tortured, twisted rock, thrusting up from the earth like angry fists and sloping away into mind-boggling plateau and valleys. Flitting in between the exaggerated rock formations and speeding over massive fields of ice and snow, I felt more alive then I have for a long time. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty of the Yakawlang valley though. We were met on the airfield by Pedro, my predecessor, and about 50 locals, mostly children, come to gape at the new arrivals from outer space. An hour’s drive through narrow mountain passes, mud and ice, to arrive at my home for the next nine months. The accommodation here is pretty first rate, my room is on the second floor and I have 180 degree views of the incredible mountain range that forms the Yakawlang valley. A couple of nights ago I was treated to one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen, watching the mist roll down from the mountains, through the 300 metre deep canyon and across the valley. The mountain that we are on has had a perfect powder covering for the last week, if only I had the time. I’ve been seriously thinking of getting a makeshift snowboard made down at the bazaar. The project is quite interesting. We are in the process of completing the rehabilitation of the hospital and three clinics and over the next nine months will be gradually withdrawing. How well this will go is anybody’s guess, but I don’t foresee too many problems, Inshallah [God Willing]. The team is in a state of flux at the moment, I only officially took over logistic duties today and will become the field coordinator next week. We have approximately 50 [local] staff, which is going OK so far. The staff are great, although the level of English here is very low … The people of Yakawlang are positively beautiful though. Even here in one of the coldest parts of Afghanistan, the warmth of the Hazara people is enough to sustain you through the winds and the snow. I have never felt more welcome anywhere in all my life. Every time you shake hands, you feel a genuine extension of unconditional friendship. This last week has been a real roller-coaster ride. Not only with the handover of the job, but with the immersion in the Hazara culture. We have been to numerous lunches and dinners since my arrival, and the hospitality of these people is certainly one of their distinguishing features. The meals, although quite consistent, are well prepared, very tasty and delivered with a well-measured modicum of ceremony. They are always followed by chai [Afghan tea] and occasionally crazy Pakistani or Iranian music videos of side-burned Elvis types singing dire love songs. On one occasion, there was even dancing – strictly men only though! Anyway, there's a bit of a queue to use the email, so I'll sign off and write again soon. Thanks for reading my rant, it can be therapeutic to put this all down on “paper”, I hope all is well in your part of the world, drop me a line and let me know how you are.
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We
were met by the Head of Mission and driver and went straight to the Médecins
Sans Frontières compound to rest up and get ready for departure [to Yakawlang].
The next day we went shopping for a few things and also for a bit of a look around.
It is quite an experience to wander around such an ancient city, especially after
hearing so much about it. It is a great deal larger than I expected and is home
to over 4 million people. We went to a place called “Chicken Street”
which is a bit of tourist shopping strip. Celia, the Argentinean doctor, is a
real character. This is her second mission in Afghanistan and she really knows
the ropes - at one store she had the poor guy literally begging for mercy! Later
on we went to the main bazaar and I really got into the throng. It's so nice to
be able to move freely here, unlike Somalia, which felt like a bit of a prison
at times.