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‘I want my story to be heard’
Kabul, Afghanistan (NI) – ‘I feel very angry, but I don’t want anything from the US military,’ said Khalid Ahmad, a 20-year-old pharmacist who survived the US bombing of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Kunduz on the 3 October. ‘God will hold them accountable.’
The actions of the US military elicit the same contempt from Khalid and many ordinary Afghans as the actions of the Taliban or ISIS.
Khalid was a little wary when Zuhal, Hoor and I were introduced to him in a ward of Emergency Hospital in Kabul, where he has been recuperating from shrapnel injury to his spine that nearly killed him.
But, immediately, I saw his care for others. ‘Please bring a chair for him,’ Khalid told his brother, not wanting me to be uncomfortable in squatting next to him, as we began our conversation in the corridor space outside the ward.
Having just recovered strength in his legs, he had walked tentatively to the corridor, making sure his urinary catheter bag wasn’t in the way as he sat down.
The autumn sun revealed tired lines on his face, as if even skin can get permanently traumatized by the shock of bomb blasts.
‘The Taliban had already taken control of all areas in Kunduz except the MSF Hospital and the airport. I felt I could still serve the patients safely because neither the Afghan/US military forces nor the Taliban would bother us. At least, they’re not supposed to.’ Khalid paused.
‘As a neutral humanitarian service,’ he continued, ‘we treat everyone alike, as patients needing help. We recognize everyone as a human being.
‘I wasn’t scheduled to be on duty the night of the incident, but my supervisor asked me to help because the hospital was swarmed with larger numbers of patients that week. I was sleeping when the bombing began at about 2 am. I went to see what was happening, and to my horror, I saw that the ICU [intensive care unit] was on fire, the flames appearing to shoot 10 metres up into the night sky. Some patients were burning in their beds.
‘I was petrified. It was so frightening. The bombing and firing continued, and following after the bombs were showers of “laser-like flashes” which were flammable, catching and spreading the fire.’
What were those laser-like flashes?
‘With two other colleagues, I rushed to the guard house, which was about five metres from the hospital’s main gate. In the guard house were four security guards. We all decided to make a run for the hospital gate, to escape the bombing.’
Khalid’s eyes cringed a little, disappointment soaking his voice. Such shock can be too much for a human being to bear; irreparable disappointment at the US military for attacking a humanitarian, medical facility, and an unfair guilty disappointment with self for having escaped death while colleagues were killed.
‘The first person ran. Then another. It was my turn. I took off, and just as I reached the gate, with one foot outside the gate and one foot inside the hospital compound, shrapnel hit me on my back. I lost power in both legs, and fell. Dazed, I dragged myself to a nearby ditch and threw myself in. I was bleeding quickly from my back, the blood pooling at my sides. Feeling that my end was near, I was desperate to call my family. My colleagues and I had taken out the batteries from our cell phones because the US military has a way of tracking and target-killing people by picking up their cell-phone signals. With one good arm, somehow, I pulled out my phone and inserted its battery.
Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk
Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=6555
