A young survivor’s journey to mobility in Afghanistan
It only took seconds to change Nasibullah’s life forever. In 2021, the then eight-year-old was walking to his father’s workplace in Niazian village, Qalat District, Afghanistan when he stepped on a landmine. The blast tore off his right leg below the knee, leaving him permanently disabled.
Before the accident, Nasibullah was an active child. “I was able to go to school and could do everything by myself,” said Nasibullah, now 12.
After the blast, his mobility was severely limited and he became heavily dependent on his family, especially his two brothers and three sisters. Even as his wounds began to heal following the amputation, Nasibullah was unable to return to school. Not long after, his father passed away and Nasibullah began to lose hope.
Zabul Province, where Nasibullah lives, remains one of the areas most contaminated with explosive ordnance. The country’s infrastructure including essential services have been severely affected by 40 years of conflict, depriving Afghans access to treatment and rehabilitation services. People living with disabilities often become fully dependent on the support of family members, unable to participate in social life or carry out their daily activities.
The Health Disability and Development Organization (HDDO), a national non-governmental organization, reports that Zabul province has one of the highest rates of people living with disabilities. The organization operates four rehabilitation centres across the country, including in Zabul. offering physiotherapy, production of prosthetics and orthotics, psychosocial counselling, and mobility aids such as wheelchairs.
In response to growing needs, the OCHA-managed Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) prioritized funding for a project for people affected by landmines implemented by HDDO in Baghlan, Ghazni, Takhar and Zabul Provinces.
Through this project, Nasibullah finally received his prosthetic leg in February 2024, three years after his injury.
The medical and technical teams at HDDO’s rehabilitation centre guided Nasibullah and his mother with empathy and professionalism through each step. At this point, Nasibullah still could not fully grasp the positive change he was about to experience. Only six days after his initial consultation, Nasibullah was fitted with a prosthetic leg and began physiotherapy. Although the adjustment was challenging, the team encouraged him to exercise and to embrace his newly gained mobility.
Today, Nasibullah is back in school and can manage his daily activities without leaning on his mother or siblings for support.
In 2024, the European Union was one of the donors of AHF, contributing nearly US$1.3 million. This funding enabled humanitarian partners to deliver critical support to those affected by decades of conflict and poverty.
This story was first published in the AHF’s 2024 Annual Report.