Afghan security forces are facing soaring casualties as they struggle to beat back the Taliban – but the combined monthly salary of 36,000 afghanis ($530) was more than her relatives could hope to earn in Shemol. Their plight is shared by others in the 4,500-strong village where around 900 men, or 20 per cent of the population, have joined the security forces. Many of Afghanistan’s more than 330,000-strong security forces come from villages much like Shemol, which is some 70 kilometres (about 44 miles) from the provincial capital Jalalabad. More than 2,500 Afghan security forces were killed in the first four months of this year alone, according to US watchdog SIGAR. While widows of security forces killed in action are entitled to receive their husband’s salary until they remarry or their children turn 18, many women do not know how to access the financial benefits, a UN report has said.

Source: The Express Tribune December 04, 2017 03:56 UTC