In response to the devastating consequences of the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025, HI deployed its emergency rehabilitation teams to Nangarhar Regional Hospital in Jalalabad. This initiative, supported by the European Union, is helping to strengthen the hospital's healthcare staff skills and treat patients through emergency rehabilitation sessions and the provision of walking aids such as crutches, walking frames and wheelchairs.
A young boy determined to walk again
Hazrat is accompanied by his mother, Roshan, who tenderly wipes his face as he answers Danny Gordon’s questions, HI's emergency physiotherapist. "How old are you?" Hazrat replies in a voice so faint it is barely audible: "7, I think." Roshan confirms with a nod.
"What do you like to do at home?" Danny continues. "Play football!" Hazrat says confidently, a big smile spreading across his face.
Sitting on a chair much too high for him, he kicks his legs and giggles. "Tell me, Hazrat, what happened to your foot?" The little boy looks down, inspecting his toes as if they held the answer. "He was shot," Roshan replies. She sighs and explains that Hazrat's father and cousins are all military men, and consequently a number of guns had found their way into the household. "They were playing," she says, rolling her eyes, "and his 16-year-old cousin made a mistake." After the accident, Roshan rushed her son to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a complex fracture.
For the first few days, Hazrat was in excruciating pain. Fortunately, over the subsequent days, the pain subsided and Karishma Ahmadi, HI physiotherapist, helped him get mobile again. She provided him with a pair of crutches to get him back on his feet.
Driven by unwavering determination, Hazrat was able to start walking around his room. The little boy has taken to Karishma and, at the end of the session, he cheekily suggests that he might even marry her one day. "What are you going to do when you're all better?" Danny asks him, already guessing the answer. "Football," Hazrat replies, beaming.
Improving access to care at Jalalabad Hospital
With support from the European Union, HI has deployed teams to improve access to rehabilitation care at the Nangarhar Regional Hospital in Jalalabad. This initiative is part of an emergency response to address gaps in physical rehabilitation services.
At the end of September, a flight operated by the European Union Humanitarian Air Bridge (EU HAB) delivered more than five tons of essential equipment for patient care, such as crutches, wheelchairs and walking sticks. By mid-November, the intervention had already improved the physical and functional abilities of 356 patients and their caregivers and prevented the onset of permanent disabilities. In addition, HI trained 45 hospital staff members in emergency rehabilitation to improve patient care.
