Philip Poupin is the AfghanWire staff photographer.  He has worked in France, Palestine, Turkey, Niger, Chad, Sudan (Darfur), Bosnia and Afghanistan.  He won the Grand Prix Paris Match du Photoreportage Etudiant in 2004. To contact him, write to philip@afghanwire.org or call 0033-6829 6809
 
A blind man helped by his daughter. Near Jalalabad. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A Canadian soldier stands in a tank while driving though the dangerous city of Kandahar. Canadian forces, in Afghanistan under NATO command, are supposed to replace American troops since summer 2006. Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A chaplain from the American army offers holy communion to Sergeant Egan, 3rd BSTB, in the scorched lands of eastern Afghanistan. 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion from Fort Drum, New York. Near Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez. 2006..jpg
A child wonders about a US army soldier in the bare arid landscape of eastern Afghanistan. Kolegh. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man stands while two Afghan policemen search his home in a region supposed to be linked to the insurgency. Ne'mati. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A private of the US army is promoted to the rank of sergeant during a 12-day patrol in the scorched lands of eastern Afghanistan. Near Mani Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army instructor for the Afghan army fears an ambush after hearing mortar fire. Most of the time, instructors work alone with a group of Afghan soldiers to teach them how to fight the insurgents. Pashmol. Kandahar. Afghanistan. 2006..jpg
A US army private is promoted to the rank of sergeant during a 12-day patrol in the scorched lands of eastern Afghanistan. Near Mani Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army Sergeant-General flys a Chinook into the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan. Going from Khost to Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006.jpg
A US army soldier (a private) counts his ammunition. Kolegh. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army soldier flies a kite as a dust storm covers the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. Near Dinar Kheyl. North of Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army soldier inspects a bridge to search for explosives which could be activated from a distance by insurgents. Kolegh Bridge. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army soldier stands guard during a patrol to search some villages known to support insurgent groups. Near Dinar Kheyl. North of Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US army soldier tests his weapon before going out on a patrol. Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US soldier puts a donkey skull on the hood of his Humvee. Near Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A US special forces soldier in charge of intelligence questions a villager found with a pistol who is accused of supporting the insurgents. Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Afghan soldiers cut up a goat during a 12-day patrol in the eastern region of Afghanistan. Near Mani Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Afghan soldiers during a patrol near Kandahar. Regai. Near Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006.jpg
Afghan soldiers during a patrol near Kandahar. Regai. Near Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Afghan soldiers guard bags of food before distributing them to villagers who were affected by Operation Medusa, NATO’s biggest offensive against insurgents in 2006. Regai. West of Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Afghan soldiers guard bags of food before distributing them to villagers who were affected by operation Medusa, NATO’s biggest offensive against the insurgents in 2006. Regai. West of Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Afghan soldiers search villagers on the outskirts of Kandahar. Pashmol. Near Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An Afghan policeman enters a house to search for weapons. Ne'mati. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American hospital treats injured people wounded in a suicide attack during the funeral of the governor of Paktya, himself killed by a suicide bomber the day before. Khost province. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American hospital treats injured people wounded in a suicide attack during the funeral of the governor of Paktya, himself killed by suicide bomber the day before. Khost province. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American soldier enters a village where inhabitants don't seem to be bothered by their presence though they are in a remote area in eastern mountains. Azdzck Kheyl. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American soldier shops in the only shop of an isolated village in the eastern region of Afghanistan. Mani Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American soldier stands in an US army vehicle, a Humvee, while a dust storm covers the mountains. Near Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez (eastern province) Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An American soldier tightens the barbed wire to protect a forward operating base near Kandahar. Pashmol. West of Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An old Afghan man stands next to a US army soldier as his village is searched. Mani Kheyl. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Canadian forces patrol a small village situated to the west of Kandahar a few days after a big operation of bombing and attacks carried out in order to clear the area of Taliban forces. Pashmol. West of Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Early in the morning, a US army watchman is falling asleep even though he is responsible for the security of the patrol in eastern Afghanistan. Near Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Early in the morning, an US army watchman is falling asleep even though he is responsible for the security of the patrol in the eastern Afghanistan. Near Dinar Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
French army patrols in the Afghan capital. Afghanistan. July to October 2006.jpg
French army patrols in the Afghan capital. Afghanistan. July to October 2006 03.jpg
French army patrols in the Afghan capital. Afghanistan. July to October 2006. 02.jpg
Lieutnant Oghman, 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion from Fort Drum, New York, hands out some flyers to villagers to convince them to stop cooperating with their enemies. Dinar Kheyl. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Major Innis of the Canadian army stands in a warehouse used to dry grapes that was turned into a bunker by the Taliban..jpg
Major Innis of the Canadian army tries to convince a village elder to stop cooperating with the Taliban. Reg. West of Kandahar. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Remember. A drawing of the 'Twin Towers' is spray-painted on the shield of a US army vehicle. Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Specialist Gentry, 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion from Fort Drum, New York, searches a cave for weapons. Near Ne'mati. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
SSG Jason Hurley, 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion from Fort Drum, New York, gives some sweets to a child. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
The entrance of the US camp in Gardez in the eastern region of Afghanistan. Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006.jpg
Two Afghan soldiers check maps at night to prepare searches of the villages which are supposed to be linked to the Taliban insurgency. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Two Afghans stand next to a hole made by a NATO bomb just a few meters from their houses. Pashmol (west of Kandahar city). Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A bookshop. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A burqa seller shows his items. Chour Bazaar. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A damaged truck lies on the edge of a serpentine road in eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. July to October 2006..jpg
A Kuchi, a nomadic shepherd, tries to find some grass to feed his goats in the empty garden of the destroyed palace of Darulaman, built in the 1920s by King Amanullah. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A Kuchi, a nomadic shepherd, tries to find some grass to feed his goats in the empty garden of the destroyed palace of Darulaman, built in the 1920s by King Amanullah.. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man in a psychiatric hospital. Karte Seh. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man searching for something in a courtyard in a bazaar. Chour Bazaar. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man sits on his bed in a psychiatric hospital. Karte Seh. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man sits, lost in his thoughts, on the outskirts of Kabul. Unemployment is one of the main problems in Afghanistan. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006.jpg
A man sits, lost in his thoughts, on the outskirts of Kabul. Unemployment is one of the main problems in Afghanistan. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man sleeps in a psychiatric hospital. Families ask the hospital to chain their relatives, who are believed to be ‘mad’ because 'they could be violent'. There is no one who can really treat them. Karte Seh. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man sleeps in a psychiatric hospital. Karte Seh. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A man stands with his granddaughter. He lost his leg by walking on a mine 10 years ago on his way home. His house was next to the front line. Marastoun. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A policeman goes out of an office in a local police station of eastern Afghanistan. Hajji Bozorg Qala. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A policeman looks at a damaged shop near the site where a suicide bomber blew himself up. Shahr-e Now. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A policeman looks at the damage caused by a suicide bomber who detonated himself in front of the Ministry of the Interior. Shahr-e Now. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A small shop on the road between Jalalabad and the Pakistani border. Outskirts of Jalalabad. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A small traffic-jam in a shopping area of Kabul, next to the Ministry of Education. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A street seller waits for customers. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A woman begs with her daughter. Wazir Akbar Khan. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A woman walks behind a man carrying a blanket with the flag of the United States of America printed on it. Near Chour Bazaar. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A woman walks through the main bazaar. Chour Bazaar. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A woman walks through the windy and dusty streets of Kabul. Calla-e Bakil. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy carries some jerry cans full of water to his home. In the growing city of Kabul, many parts of the city don’t have running water or access to electricity.. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy in the city picking up some garbage. He recycles paper, iron, etc to use them again. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy is treated in a private hospital after a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the Ministry of the Interior. Shahr-e Now. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy picks up garbage along the recently built road to Bagram, where one of the biggest American military bases is located. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy smiles behind the window of an old container abandoned by the Russian troops during their withdrawal after more than a decade of occupation. North of Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young boy, whose parents are ill, begs. Baharestan. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
A young girl stands next to her destroyed house. Many poor families still live in destroyed and abandoned houses. The day after I met Zahar, 12, she and her family left Afghanistan to go to Iran where her father hopes to find a job. Kabul. .jpg
A young man and his sister ride on a bicycle to school. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An old man and his grandson sit in their small shop. Mani Kheyl. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
An old man rides a donkey. In this neighbourhood, named Baharestan, the rich build their houses at the foot of the hill, surrounded by high walls while the poor live up the hill. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Balgigul, 40 years-old, sits on her bed in a psychiatric hospital. Her son was injured by a mine and lost his two legs. She fell into shock and now feels impotent to deal with her daily domestic life. Karte Seh. Kabul. Afghanistan.jpg
Da, a 5 year-old girl, begs all day in the dusty city of Kabul. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Girl at school. A young girl reads the Qur’an. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Girls at school. A young girl reads the Qur’an. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Girls at school. School was prohibited for girls under the Taliban regime. They started to come back, but schools are often burnt down because they accept girls. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Girls attending school in Kabul. Under the Taliban, girls were barred from attending school. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
In an eastern province, women do their housework. Dinar Khel. Near Gardez. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
It is estimated that Kabul’s population has increased by 1 – 2 million people in the past 5 years. Many come with the hope of a better life, seeking jobs and settling in he cities’ rapidly growing outskirts. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Local policemen wait in their small and uncomfortable police station. They work seven days and then go back home for seven days. North of Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Men gamble on a traditional Afghan game. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Men wait at the corner of a street for a day’s labour. Shahr-e Now. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
On the way to school. Outskirts of Jalalabad. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Some men wait in front of the Iranian embassy to get a visa in order to travel and work in Iran. Unemployment is a major problem in Afghanistan. Wazir Akbar Khan. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
The burning of incense to chase away bad spirits, a pre-Islamic tradition, is still practised in the streets of Kabul, having become a common way to beg..jpg
The butcher's son. Next to Chour Bazaar. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Two children were taken into a small centre for homeless people after they lost their father during an American aerial bombing in 2001. They still don't know if their father has been killed. Marastoun. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Two young boys. Entrance of Jalalabad. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Under the portrait of Commander Massoud, UNHCR bags are sold in Chour Bazaar in Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Young boys come back from the madrassa during the holy month of Ramadan. Near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Young men play volleyball next to a building still under construction. Many projects in Kabul, where the population is swiftly growing, are not finished because of bad planning or corruption. Kabul. Afghanistan. July to October 2006..jpg
Zimalgol, 37 years old, tries her prosthesis on in the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) orthopaedic centre. Her house was destroyed during the bombings of Kabul. She has 4 children but no job. Her husband died 4 years ago. .jpg
PHOTOS by Philip Poupin