Black and white photojournalism by award winning photographer David Lee Longstreath
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Pakistan Border Camps

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An Afghan elder waits for a food donation at a Pakistan refugee camp.
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A Pakistan refugee camp guard chase away two Afghan boys.
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Afghan refugee women wait for food dontation at a Pakistan refugee camp.
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An Afghan refugee child cligs to a sheet of plastic at a Pakistan refugee camp.
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Afghan refugees gather at a refugee camp in Pakistan.
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Two Afghan refugee boys wait at a refugee camp in Pakistan.
PictureA travel visa issued to me by the Taliban.
all photos by David Longstreath/Associated Press

​Back in 2001, I took off for a two week run through Pakistan in hopes of getting a visa into Afghanistan. There was a massive refugee crisis as thousands of Afghans were fleeing fighting between the Taliban and government forces.  In Islamabad, Pakistan, at the office, I soon discovered that getting necessary documents from the Taliban might be difficult.    Just me being in Pakistan was difficult many would think, but going to Afghanistan was not a good idea.
It was the first time for me to meet B.K. Bangash, the AP chief photographer in Pakistan.  BK was a wonderful person.  He welcomed me into his "patch of territory" with open arms.  I was there to produce a picture story on the plight of the Afghanistan refugees and conflict in the region, how far I got would be with BK's help.  It was not to be.  Tensions between the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan were at an all-time high.  The Taliban gave me a one month visa, but the office in Islamabad warned me not to go.  I would have to settle for working the story in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area near the Khyber pass.
Every day thousands of refugees were pouring across the border,  Entire families on foot, most with only the clothes on their backs.  In a camp called Jalozi, near Peshawar, Pakistan I shot the photos you see in the slide show.

David Lee Longstreath is a retired wire service photographer with more than 40 years experience on assignments around the world. He currently lives in upcountry Thailand.


​Contact me at dlongstreath@mac.com

Prints available at
Fine Art America.com


  • Tales from the Trail (blog)
  • Fine Art for Sale
  • Afghanistan Diary
  • Pakistan Diary
  • Tattoo Madness
  • Brother No. 1
  • Brother No. 2
  • Earthquake
  • Body Snatchers
  • Ladyboy
  • East Timor
  • Gulf War 1
  • Pakistan border camps
  • Forgotten War
  • One Survivor
  • My World in B&W
  • 10,000 Dead
  • Thaipusam In Malaysia
  • mondo bizzaro
  • About
  • Contact
  • Brutal Land
  • Tales from the Trail (blog)
  • Fine Art for Sale
  • Afghanistan Diary
  • Pakistan Diary
  • Tattoo Madness
  • Brother No. 1
  • Brother No. 2
  • Earthquake
  • Body Snatchers
  • Ladyboy
  • East Timor
  • Gulf War 1
  • Pakistan border camps
  • Forgotten War
  • One Survivor
  • My World in B&W
  • 10,000 Dead
  • Thaipusam In Malaysia
  • mondo bizzaro
  • About
  • Contact
  • Brutal Land