No reconstruction is planned for the capital The United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, has painted a desperate picture of life in Afghanistan, four years after the Taleban militia took control of the capital, Kabul. He also warned that the warring factions appear to be preparing for a major offensive. Cycle of violence UN envoys have been unable to negotiate a peace between the Taleban and a northern alliance led by General Ahmad Shah Masood. Afghanistan went through nine years of military conflict with the Soviet Union, ending in 1989, followed by a protracted civil war.
Taleban rule is recognised only by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Children are dying from easily preventable disease and women and girls continue to face serious restrictions on any participation in public life. The Taleban is under UN Security Council air and financial sanctions aimed at forcing it to hand over Saudi militant Osama bin Laden. He is wanted for trial by the US on charges of masterminding the 1998 bombings of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.