Afghanistan's Broken Postal System

Photographs by Lawrence Cohen

Although regular mail delivery was unheard-of, Cohen saw this Afghan Post van in front of the Herat General Post Office. Despite the map on the doors implying worldwide service, mail service even in major cities is a shaky proposition. Few Afghans are even aware that a postal system exists.

The author (right) stands behind the desk with three employees of the Herat General Post Office. "When the post office received something they could not read," writes Cohen, "or they were not aware of the addressee, they just kept the item until someone could help them."