Disabled in war, soldiers seek a living on the streets
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Afghan soldier Mehrullah Safi’s military career ended in southern Helmand province last year when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded next to him, severing his right leg. Now he sells mobile telephone cards in the street.
Tens of thousands of Afghan troops have been disabled in the 16 years since a United States-led campaign ousted the Taliban in 2001. In city streets and marketplaces all over the country, they offer a stark reminder of the human cost of the war.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Safi, a former army lieutenant, said.
“We were surrounded by dozens of Taliban, there was a heavy fight going on and I was in a bad condition for two days until I was transferred to hospital.”
With his left leg and a hand also shattered, Safi’s leg was amputated in the field. After eight unsuccessful operations on his badly damaged left leg, he hopes a ninth will stabilize it.
“I served my country and I don’t regret being wounded but when I see my wounds no value for my government, then I do regret it.”
Safi said he received a oneoff payment of 184,000 afghani ($2,690) when he was disabled, besides $153 every month.
Unable to walk, he sits in a small booth in a market in the eastern city of Jalalabad, supplementing his pension with about 5,000 to 8,000 afghani from the sales of mobile phone cards each month.
“I’ve built a small business to feed my family but now municipal workers harass me in the market,” he said. “My family blames me for ruining their lives.”
The government says it does what it can as it battles an insurgency that kills and wounds thousands of soldiers each year and tries to rebuild an economy destroyed by decades of strife.
Wounded soldiers usually get a year’s pay and a monthly pension. About 130,000 severely disabled military and civilian individuals now receive benefits, said government spokesman Fatah Ahmadzai.
But officials said they know the sum is far too small for veterans supporting families of five or more.
“The ministry is working day and night to find a way to increase the amount our soldiers are paid. But Afghanistan does not have the money to solve this issue on its own,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri.
The bitter reality is hard to counter, leaving many feeling painfully conflicted.
“When I think back to when I joined the army, I regret it and blame myself,” said former soldier Riazullah, who lost both legs to a roadside bomb.
“My family also blames me for what happened, but I tell my children to study, and one day they will understand the value of what I did for this country.”