For people living in difficult circumstances, the word “free” has a significant meaning – especially…

In Afghanistan, Children Are Victims of the Legacy of War
“He was playing in a field with his little sister. They saw something that looked like a toy, so they picked it up.”
As he shares their story, his 3-year-old son Nabi sits in a wheelchair across from us. One of Nabi’s hands has been amputated, and on the other he has lost two fingers.
Thousands of times, we have heard stories that begin with a child’s simple curiosity for a shiny object.
In an instant, the explosion left a profound impact on Nabi’s body.
“In his smile, which he hasn’t lost despite everything he has been through, there is often a trace of pain,” say our colleagues at the Kabul Surgical Centre, where we operated on Nabi.
In 2024, our Kabul hospital treated 135 children injured by landmines or shrapnel. One injured child, every three days.
They are the young victims of the brutal legacy that war leaves behind: a threat to the health and future of a country.
Photos by Francesco Pistilli