Concern in Kabul for British expats

By Martin Patience
BBC News, Kabul

Foreigners try to live normal lives in Kabul despite the danger

The deaths of two British nationals have cast a spotlight on what life is like for foreigners who are living in Afghanistan.

In the space of less than a week, three expats have been gunned down in the Afghan capital.

First, Gayle Williams, a British aid worker, was killed as she walked to work in Kabul.

The Taleban say they carried out the attack because Ms Williams was preaching Christianity - an accusation which the charity she worked for has denied.

And then, on Saturday, British businessman David Giles was shot dead outside the DHL office where he worked, along with a South African colleague.

These deaths have raised concerns among the British and international community about the safety of living in Kabul.

Walled compounds

"The attacks perhaps brought home to some people the dangers of working in the capital," says Nic Lee, the director of Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (Anso), which provides security advice to a raft of charities.

"But I don't think that the security situation has changed overnight - I think security hasn't been good for two years."

The British presence in Afghanistan - apart from the approximately 8,000 soldiers predominantly in Helmand province - is substantial.

Obviously the expat community is quite small and everyone knows a friend of a friend of someone who has been killed British aid worker

The British embassy in Kabul has one of the largest staffs of any UK embassy overseas.

The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the Afghan capital.

But many British nationals work outside the embassy wall for charities, security firms, and businesses.

There are a number of large British charities based in the capital, including War Child, Oxfam and Save the Children UK.

It's very difficult to put a figure on how many British nationals live in the city - but it probably numbers several hundred.

Most live in walled compounds, and some have armed guards.

But they all face travel restrictions.

Apart from the recent incidents - and the high-profile attack on one of the city's biggest hotels in January - there have also been specific threats of kidnapping against foreigners.

In spite of this, many go to local bars and restaurants catering for foreigners in the evening. There is also a lively house-party scene.

'You don't get muggings'

But one British aid worker in her mid-20s - who did not want to be named - believes the mood in the capital is becoming more "pessimistic".

"Obviously the expat community is quite small and everyone knows a friend of a friend of someone who has been killed," she says.

Gayle Williams had made her home in Kabul before she was killed

"I don't think about security on a daily basis, otherwise it would feed paranoia. But I think you need to keep evaluating the situation and if gets worse then I'd leave."

But not all British nationals feel the same way.

Peter Worby, 53, arrived in Kabul about six months ago to work as a senior accountant for the country's first private insurance firm, Insurance Corporation of Afghanistan.

He says he feels "quite relaxed" in the capital.

"You don't getting muggings, road-rage, or beaten up by drunks like you face in Britain," he says.

"There are definitely fewer incidents of violence than in the UK, but obviously if you get caught up in one of them here then it's far more serious.

"But whenever anything happens in Kabul, it gets reported, and that makes people worried back home."

Most British nationals live in Kabul because in comparison with other parts of the country, particularly the south and the east, it is generally regarded as safe.

Despite the recent attacks, there has not been an exodus of international staff.

According to Nic Lee from Anso, charities may be reassessing their operations - but of the 190 non-government organisations that he works with, none has pulled out any staff.

The mood may be one of grim concern among many British nationals in Kabul, but there does not seem to be panic - not yet, anyway.