Back to Kabul, Afghanistan 2003

In 2003 Belkes - a refugee from Afghanistan, now living in The Netherlands - returned to Kabul, for the first time since she left the country 15 years ago. She wanted to visit her family again and find out how the situation was, 1 1/2 year after the end of the Taliban regime. Her youngest brother - who returned permanently - joined her on her travel. They first visited their sister Nafiza who still lived in Peshawar, Pakistan, like hundreds of thousands of refugees from Afghanistan. There they were welcomed by their mother who had come for a brief visit from Kabul. She brought her daughter and son back home. Belkes' family is just one example of a family being separated due to the events in their country. All her relatives fled, staying in Pakistan and Europe. Most of them had returned by Spring 2003. This photo series is an impression of Belkes' visit and gives insight in Afghanistan's past 20 years on the basis of her family's experiences.