War amputees in Afghanistan face harsh lives, discrimination

Ten-year-old Shamsullah waits for nurses to change his wound dressings. Shamsullah's legs were amputated after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while walking to school in Sangin district three months ago. (Holly Pickett/For The Washington Post)

By Erin Cunningham October 26 at 3:30 AM

Up Close: This is part of an occasional series offering a fresh perspective, in words and photographs, on the people and places shaping today’s world.

No one knows how many there actually are. Decades of constant conflict have made tallying Afghanistan’s war-related amputees — the victims of land mines, unexploded ordnance and roadside bombs — essentially impossible, health officials say.

Afghan policeman Matiullah, 26, watches Fathi Momand, 50, walk during Matiullah's first physical therapy session two days after both of his legs were amputated. (Holly Pickett/For TWP)

Shah Zada, 25, allows therapist Sardar Wali to exercise his amputated limbs. Shah Zada, an Afghan Army soldier, was injured by an improvised explosive device. (Holly Pickett/For TWP)

War Amputees in Afghanistan Face Harsh Lives, Discrimination by Thavam Ratna