Feature: An Afghan Woman's Long Nightmare

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 14, 2002

Feature: An Afghan Woman's Long Nightmare

Tears came from her eyes. She kept wiping her eyes and cheeks while recounting the nightmare of how her eight-member family were killed during a U.S. bombing of the Taliban in suburb of Kabul.

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Tears came from her eyes. She kept wiping her eyes and cheeks while recounting the nightmare of how her eight-member family were killed during a U.S. bombing of the Taliban in suburb of Kabul.

On a Sunday night last October, Alfa Abulahmad stayed at her mother's house. When she heard a loud explosion from her own village, she rushed back. She was totally shocked when she found her own house was in a smoking shambles.

She could not find anyone of his family members. They, including her husband, her engaged daughter and other kids, were all buried in the ruins, dead.

"I have no place to go, I don't know where I should go," a choking Abulahmad told reporters at the front gate of the U.S. embassy in Kabul. She still lives in that roofless "house".

"Sometimes, our neighbor gives us some bread," she said, rubbing the head of his six-year-old son while wiping her tears with a dirty cloth.

"It is a nightmare, and we are still haunted by it," she said. "The United States should compensate us. We need to rebuild our house. I need to buy bread for my children."

"I feel sad night and day. It is too difficult for us," she said.

Abulahmad is one of about 15 victims who gathered at the U.S. embassy for compensation Tuesday. Some of them lost their husbands, some lost children or parents. Their houses were totally destroyed.

Azzull Ayatfull, 21, lost his left leg when his house was bombed. "I want an artificial limb, I want a job. I am the bread earner in my family," he said.

There are no statistics about the civilian casualties resulted from the U.S. bombing, which started last October against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden who are accused of the prime suspect for plotting the September 11 attacks against the United States.

The Global Exchange, an American non-governmental organization, is going to conduct a survey about the issue, according to its spokeswoman Marla Ruzicka. "We want to do a survey that looks at the loss of human life, property damage and what overall impact was," she said.

She called for the U.S. government to establish an Afghan Victim Family Fund. "We all heard that the anti-Taliban soldiers received cash compensation from the U.S. military. The Afghan government does not have a fund to do it, and neither the U.S. government or the military has initiated the effort."

Along with the Agency for Rehabilitation and Energy Conservation in Afghanistan, the Global Exchange also announced the launch of the first coordinated effort examining the effect of the recent U.S. military campaign in the war-torn country.

The US Aid Agency or the USAID, announced last week that it will distribute a million U.S. dollars for medical expenses and rehabilitation of those Afghans who lost limbs during the campaign. Both Republicans and Democrats also support a fund to help innocent victims.

However, the Global Exchange urges for an immediate action from the U.S. authorities. "It will take a year to put the money into budget to help innocent victims. People cannot wait a year for the help they need... It's a cold country," Ruzicka said.

"We all know very well, the U.S. military spent 30 million dollars a day when they were bombing Afghanistan. Surely the U.S. government can afford to help the people," she added.

However, no innocent civilian victims have got a cent from the United States. Abulahmad came to the front gate of the large U.S. embassy compound on foot almost once a week, hoping to get some help. "But each time, they told me 'you are a beggar, go away,'" a tearing Abulahmad said.

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