‘Flashback’: Ukraine war revives painful memories for Afghans

While sympathising with the plight of Ukrainians, Afghans also question double standards in the international response. “But if it was really about humanity, they would treat all of those trying to escape violence equally.” Violent occupation The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began in December 1979 and ended a decade later, when Soviet troops withdrew after a prolonged insurgency by Afghan resistance groups, some of which received lavish funding and weapons from the United States as it sought to bog the Soviet Union down in a bloody quagmire. “Around a fifth of Afghanistan’s adult male population was killed, and large parts of the agricultural economy were destroyed.” For those who lived through the conflict, the memories remain poignant even now, decades later. “You see people leaving with only what they can carry, and this is also how we left.” European double standards Since Russia’s war began in late February, three million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country, according to the United Nations. Media outlets have been criticised for comparing the conflict in Ukraine with those in less “civilised” Middle Eastern countries, while African and Arab refugees fleeing Ukraine have reported widespread instances of racism and mistreatment.