In the following week, you can read and see a story that is almost impossible to comprehend. The west is leaving Kabul and Afghanistan these days, and INKISH has eyes inside Kabul, reporting from the city that the Taliban is now controlling.

By Robert Godwin & Morten B. Reitoft 

Most people don't know much about Afghanistan, so before getting into our story about the current situation, let's understand where and what Afghanistan is.

SOME HISTORY

Afghanistan has been at war for almost forever, and though the Afghan people are proud people, they don't have many natural resources of interest to people from the west. Afghanistan has been in a war state essentially forever.

Since 9/11/2001 NATO, led by the US, has been at war with the Taliban, Islamic State, and several other clans in Afghanistan. Before the US led coalition, Afghanistan was at war with Russia. When you read the history of Afghanistan, it has never been left alone by any of its neighbors or western world superpowers, which, of course, influences the country’s politics.

Afghanistan is a country with borders to Pakistan, Iran, and the former Soviet republics in north Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. With a population of about 32 million people, the population density is low.

These days everything is more or less a total mess. That leaves the population in a new situation similar to before 9/11, where the Taliban ruled Afghanistan based on strict Islamic rules. In particular, women were suppressed and compared to the ideals of western democracies, suppressed like nowhere else in the world.

AFGHAN PRINT INDUSTRY

The printing industry in Afghanistan is very diverse. Inkish research shows commercial printing companies with very old equipment. Conversely, signage and large format printing equipment is on a par with any printing company in the west. The population in Kabul is about 5 million people and has several hundred printing companies of all sizes, serving segments including large format, commercial printing and packaging!

Inkish has reached out to some of the printing companies in Afghanistan's capital Kabul to see if we could get reports from the capital while the Taliban is taking control. This is not easy, and we have only got in touch with a few. However, we have contact with enough people to give you an insight that we believe can give you a perspective as never before!

In the days to follow, you will get stories with insights from people putting themselves in great danger. Journalists and reporters are under lockdown. They can't leave their houses, and some have been executed. The people telling their stories on INKISH do so at great risk.

The printing industry in Afghanistan is by all means at a different technical level than most of our audience knows. Still, the focus of these stories is not technology, but the importance of simply being able to print.

The printing industry has always thrived in democracies where freedom of the press is respected. This is a critical ingredient to be able to sell presses. When the wall between Western and Eastern Europe collapsed, one of the first things offered to the east was financial credit lines and support to buy presses. This allowed the press and commercial print shops to operate unrestrained and uncensored.

This is NOT the situation in Kabul. Inkish, therefore, provides anonymity, covering names/faces, etc., in the articles/photos/films you will soon see.

The stories you will find on Inkish are important. Compared to all the problems we may face in first world countries; we are not risking our lives going to work. The Afghan people who dare to tell their stories are some of the bravest people you can imagine.

Meet them here.

Listen to what they have to say.

They are telling their stories at the risk of their own lives.

These days the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, is one of the most dangerous places to be. Soldiers, embassies, NGOs, and many other people are doing their best to flee! The airport is a target by the Islamic State - so by all means, a situation that is difficult to handle.

INKISH has eyes and feet on the ground, and in the following week, you can read and see stories from inside printing companies in Kabul.

Stay tuned!