War and peace: What lockdown looks like in Afghanistan

A photographer’s view — For photographer and writer Andrew Quilty – an immigrant living in war-torn Kabul – the prospect of Covid-19 was panic-inducing. But the reality was an entirely different story.

“A picture speaks a thousand words” is one of the more farcical clichés bouncing around the modern lexicon. Apart from being insulting to photo-and-regular journalists alike, it’s both impossible and improbable. “I’m an advocate of pictures accompanied by words,” says award-winning photojournalist Andrew Quilty. “Especially in a place like here where the people viewing the photos are often naive to the context.”

“Here” is Afghanistan. Kabul, to be exact. Australian born Quilty, a budding photojournalist at the time, went to the Afghan capital seven years ago to “check it out” and never left, gradually progressing from promising snapper, to winning Gold Walkleys and shooting covers for revered titles like Time magazine.

Quilty also works with text. Moving to Afghanistan coincided with the photojournalist developing his Instagram feed as a means of straight reporting, pairing photos taken on his iPhone whilst out on assignment (DSLR around his neck) with in-depth captions detailing events, history and context. He credits this as gently steering him towards becoming a total journalist, rather than someone merely hunting for that one, striking frame.

“It’s here that I really started finding worth in my photography, but I started to realise that my photos would be more meaningful accompanied by words,” Andrew tells me on a rickety line from his empty share house in Kabul. “Providing those words requires the photographer to learn, study and read, and understand. So it was probably a natural development.”

afghanistan andrew quilty afghanistan andrew quilty

While Covid-19 whipped the world into uncertainty, for Quilty – an immigrant living in a war-torn country with little medical resources – the unknown was panic-inducing. And he’s someone who’s used to bombs detonating on a regular basis. “To be honest I was kind of shitting myself,” he says. “I really didn’t know what to do.”

“When the pandemic kicked off in Iran, 250,000 Afghans – mostly young, unskilled labourers – came flocking back across the border to Herat because they’re notoriously badly treated in Iran, and knew they’d get no medical assistance,” he explains. “The healthcare system in Afghanistan is desperate at the best of times, the police force pretty ineffectual, and there’s a war going on. They calculated there could be as many as 250,000 deaths in Kabul alone!”

Quilty was faced with the decision of staying and seeing (plus documenting) how the virus progressed through his adopted home, or drop it all and return to Sydney: “My biggest fear was that it was going to turn into civil unrest and the health system and government would be totally overwhelmed and that there’d be bodies piling up in the streets.”

afghanistan andrew quilty

The photojournalist chose to stay in Afghanistan, and explains in hindsight that his purchasing of $500 worth of rations, 400 litres of drinking water, a sack of flour and planting a vegetable patch in his backyard was, ultimately, overkill. “The way it all transpired was relatively civilised, despite the desperation for a lot of people here,” he says. We joke about the fact that while many in the western world were doing similar – planting permaculture gardens and baking bread – he was doing so for different reasons. And, like plenty of people forced to take a step back from the frantic pace of their regular lives, he enjoyed the more analogue pace that lockdown afforded.

“I really enjoyed the slower pace of work,” Quilty tells me. “The work that I did have I could spend a few hours on each day at a time of my choosing, rather than working until I can’t keep my eyes open. And for the first time in a number of years getting into a healthy routine, eating well and exercising.”

Asking people “what’s next?” at a time like this prompts uncertain answers. But for Quilty, uncertainty’s become a way of life, and it’s something he’s going to continue to roll with.

“Kabul’s the place that I’ve come to feel at home, probably never more so than ever in the last couple of months where I’ve actually been able to enjoy the routine of a home life,” he says. “So I don’t really have an answer, I wish I did. But I’ve also tried to stop worrying about it. I’ve never been much of a planner. I didn’t plan to come here, and it’ll probably be something out of my control that sees me leave.”

See more of Andrew Quilty’s work on his official website, or follow him on Instagram.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Red shop frontage with "Open Out" branding and appointment-only signage.
Activism

Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims

Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Cyclists racing past Palestinian flag, yellow barriers, and spectators.
Sport

Gazan amputees secure Para-Cycling World Championships qualification

Gaza Sunbirds — Alaa al-Dali and Mohamed Asfour earned Palestine’s first-ever top-20 finish at the Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium over the weekend.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge
Music

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Weathered wooden building with a tall spire, person on horseback in foreground.
Culture

Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South

Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A collage depicting a giant flup for mankind, with an image of the Earth surrounded by planets and people in sci-fi costumes.
Culture

Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind

Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.

Written by: Emma Garland

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Katie Goh

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.