A Croydon photojournalist is heading back to one of the world’s most troubled regions to see how life has changed 15 years after his last visit.

Theodore Liasi, 45, worked as a photojournalist in Afghanistan after the Russian invasion left and before the attention of the West was focused so closely on the war-torn region.

With many more journalistic freedoms afforded then than now, Mr Liasi was able to take pictures of situations and people it would be almost impossible to do today.

Mr Liasi said: “After all these years I have decided to return to this fractured and troubled land to see for myself what has changed – if indeed anything has in the intervening years.

“Much has been said, documented and reported on Afghanistan but still we find it difficult to comprehend and fully appreciate what is actually happening in the region – to the ordinary man, woman and child.

“The purpose of my visit will be to retrace my tracks, revisit the places I saw all those years ago and photograph the changes – for better or worse.

“Kabul was a ravaged city when I was last there, bombed out streets and buildings, it resembled Dresden at the end of WWII.

“My understanding now is that there are cafes and ice-cream shops... has life really returned to what we would call normal or is this just an isolated situation.”

“What of the people, are they better off now to when I was last there, or has the incursion of foreign troops hindered the country’s progress?

“With so much information on the region, mostly relating to military activities, I hope to document the realities of those living in and around Kabul.”

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