ABSTRACT
In December 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops to Afghanistan to prevent the disintegration of the country and a possible expansion of United States (US) influence in the region. Creating tremors throughout the international arena, the Soviet invasion was a major news story in the 1980s and generated a serious humanitarian crisis both in Afghanistan and in the neighbouring countries. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) arrived at the Pakistani refugee camps as minor – and at times unwanted – assistants. Gradually, however, they became vital actors in the refugee camps and the only providers of foreign assistance in the rebel-held areas in Afghanistan. When the Cold War ended, the Afghan NGO community expanded rapidly. Relations between Afghanistan and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) deteriorated in the course of the year. The USSR was concerned because the reforms were so unpopular and the Afghan army was disintegrating. The Soviet invasion created enormous tension in East–West relations.
