Afghan insurgencies compound misery, complicate quake relief

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2015/10/27/taliban-complicate-effort-aid-afghans-after-quake/op6IQ3ku8iuzAsRKXJJ4BK/story.html

Afghan insurgencies compound misery, complicate quake relief
By Mujib Mashal New York Times October 27, 2015

KABUL — The family had to buy the burial shroud of white linen on credit at their district bazaar in northern Afghanistan. But at least the two crushed bodies of their teenage sons, pulled from the wreckage of a devastating earthquake after three hours of digging, could be put to rest on Tuesday.

For the family, living in a Taliban-controlled area near the center of Monday’s powerful earthquake, the ordeal was not over: Dozens of militants lingered around the house after the burial ceremony, demanding to be fed.

The extent of the family’s wealth had come down to several apricot and mulberry trees, a half-dozen sheep, and a cow. To feed the insurgents, the family had to slaughter one of its last goats.

“Every night, every day, we have 20 or 30 Taliban coming asking for food,” one of the relatives said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of Taliban reprisal. “And we can’t even afford one loaf of bread for our own children.”