Caught in the middle of the growing conflict between NATO forces and the Taliban, and poorly served by an inept and corrupt government, many Afghans have little expectation of better days ahead.

This series of images captures the bleak mood pervading Kabul and its environs today.

Despite the billions of dollars in aid that have poured in since the end of 2001, and the massive presence of Western soldiers, diplomats and aid workers, large parts of the Afghan capital remain in limbo. This is a city where the ruins of old wars stand cheek-by-jowl with the rubble of the current conflict.

For most ordinary Afghans, little has changed for the better, and much has changed for the worse. Hundreds of noncombatants are killed every year by the Taliban or (inadvertently) by Western forces. Many of the survivors carry physical and psychological injuries from the fighting, and have to cope with almost medieval standards of medical attention.

The situation is even worse in the countryside, where the Taliban holds sway. Infrastructure is almost nonexistent in much of the country, and people cope with very little.

In the streets, the occasional flash of modern consumerism is quickly overshadowed by ancient pastimes like dog-fights and horse-riding. In 2010, more than eight years since Western forces helped overthrow the Taliban regime, much of Afghanistan remains stuck in the past.



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