For more than a decade, the international military presence and foreign aid in Afghanistan have helped prop up the local economy. But now, with the number of troops falling and military bases shrinking, Afghans have been left struggling to make ends meet.
Scraping Out A Living In Afghanistan
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Outside Bagram Airfield, the biggest U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
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Bagram Bazaar is located just outside the base. Customers can buy groceries as well as goods smuggled from Bagram Airfield.
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Halim rents out a stall at Bagram Bazaar. He worked at the base for seven years before being fired earlier this year.
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Homayoon's metal business has fallen on hard times. He was contracted by the U.S. military for five years, but that ended earlier this year.
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This small steel yard struggles to survive amid the American military drawdown.
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One of many scrapyards in the town of Bagram.
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A huge row of shipping containers outside Bagram Airfield.
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U.S. military boots being sold outside the "Obama Bazaar" in Kabul.
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The "Obama Bazaar" in Kabul. The market has previously been known as the "Bush Bazaar" and the "Brezhnev Bazaar."
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This shop owner has refitted electronics dumped outside American military bases.
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American foodstuffs smuggled from U.S. bases in Afghanistan are sold in the bazaar.
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Besides food products, the "Obama Bazaar" sells American military gear and equipment.