Afghanistan > Country Background and Current Challenges
Violent conflicts have turned Afghanistan into a frequent war zone over the past 25 years. More than one million people were killed during the 10-year Soviet occupation in the 1980s. In 2001, the Taliban regime was toppled by US-led troops. By the end of 2007, there were over 40,000 international troops in the country, engaged in combat with insurgents. All too often, this combat has had a tragic impact on the civilian population.
The entrenched history of conflict has led to massive neglect and underdevelopment throughout the country. In remote areas, there is very limited access to primary health care, and up to 80[1] percent of households have no access to safe drinking water. The average life expectancy is 42 (WHO), and the country has some of the highest recorded maternal mortality rates in the world.[2]
While there has been recent progress on many fronts, Afghanistan requires much more effort to overcome decades of destruction, and to combat the years of neglect to its infrastructure.
[1] Asia Water Watch 2015. Asian Development Bank, 2006
[2] Reuters AlertNet, November 2007
www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/AF_REC.htm?v=in_detail