Now on bbc news, our world. For nearly a0 years afghanistan has been in a constant state of war. How has this affected the Mental Health of its people . In this weeks programme, sahar zand meets Mental Health patients, including a former taliban fighter, struggling to deal with the trauma of war. Afghanistan has been at war for nearly a0 years. A conflict that has claimed over two million civilian lives. They are from 40, 50 years ago and itjust really shows how long war has been going on in this country. And the cost to the nations Mental Health has been enormous. Its estimated that three quarters of afghan women and more than half the men suffer from Mental Health problems. With rare access to the countrys only secure psychiatric unit and one of the largest hospitals, i meet the medical staff trying to deal with the Mental Health emergency. And the patients traumatised by decades of conflict. Herat, in western afghanistan, is the countrys Third Largest city. As war continues in much of the country, the demand for Mental Health care is also skyrocketing. This is the psychiatric unit in the citys main hospital. Ive come to meet dr Wahid Noorzad who, at 33, is the man in charge. Azata is 1a years old and has been brought in by her mother. Like many other young afghans, traumatic events have been a big part of azatas childhood. Dr noorzad suspects that azata is suffering from ptsd post Traumatic Stress disorder a type of anxiety disorder triggered by traumatic events, often seen in soldiers. Ptsd is increasingly common amongst afg hanistans war ravaged population. Social taboos around Mental Health make it difficult to get patients through the door and thats why dr noorzad takes every opportunity to reach out to the public. At a local herati tv station, dr noorzad is being interviewed. Hes a regular guest and gives Mental Health advice to people who call in. Dr noorzad holds a weekly outreach programme, an opportunity for more people to get help. Its free and has been running forfour years. Farad is a trained counsellor and a volunteer who runs the sessions. Farad himself suffers from ptsd and is also a patient of dr noorzad, but unlike the majority of afghans suffering ptsd, hes seeking professional psychological help. A very recent traumatic event led to farad getting ptsd. On 1st august 2017, two men walked into the jawadia mosque and opened fire on 300 worshippers gathered for evening prayers. They then detonated their suicide vests, killing 38, including farads teenager brother, hossein. Dozens of others were injured. Jawadia is a shia mosque and thats why it was targeted. Sunni militants like isis and the taliban regard the shia as heretics. Farad comes here every day. For him, the trauma of the attack is still very raw. Photographs of the 38 victims, some as young as two years old. All are given the title shaheed, meaning martyr. He cries. Ghulam haider sobhani has been the imam of this mosque for the last 25 years. He was also here on the day of the attack. Speaking to the imam, the challenge faced by dr noorzad and his team becomes clear. The taboo around Mental Health is rooted deep within the culture. For many afghans, war and violence have been a constant presence. More than two million civilians have been killed since the soviet Union Invaded the country in 1979. Herat even has its own Museum Dedicated to war. These are really old, mostly russian weapons and ammunitions and they are from 40, 50 years ago, and itjust really shows how long war has been going on in this country. I mean, we hearfour decades, but seeing these really makes it more tangible. The soviets withdrawal in 1989 was the start of a ten year long civil war. This led to the rise of the taliban, who continue their bloody insurgency to this day, funded by a booming opium trade. 2017 saw a bumper opium poppy crop in afghanistan. Perhaps as a form of self medication for the trauma of war, many afghans use opium. An estimated 10 of the population is now addicted to the opium poppy derivative heroin. Some of these addicts end up here, at the countrys only secure psychiatric unit. Its home to about 250 men and 50 women, many of whom are suffering from drug induced schizophrenia and psychosis. Mohammed essar is a former member of the taliban. Mohammed davood is a former member of the mujahideen. Both men were drug addicts and suffer from ptsd and were sent here by their families. Without a resident psychiatrist, the unit relies on outside help. Dr saljoochi is the visiting psychiatrist. The most dangerous patient, alli, is kept isolated from everyone else after biting off a Staff Members finger and the ear of a fellow patient. Many patients families have left for neighbouring countries because of war and cannot be contacted. Jaffar is here because of depression and schizophrenia. This led to an out of control drug habit and later to violence. He was sent here by his parents. Like so many other patients here, jaffar is well enough to go home, but hes not sure when he can leave. Through a locked metal gate is the female section. About 50 women live here, some with their children. Some have been here for years and look likely to stay. A couple of days later, ive come back to the psychiatric unit because ive heard some news about jaffar. After three years at the psychiatric unit, jaffar really is going home. Jaffars dad has made the 800 kilometre journey from kabul to collect his son. Back at herats main hospital, azata, the 14 year old we met earlier, who was diagnosed with ptsd, is back to see dr noorzad for her first follow up appointment. For azata, the long journey to recovery is just beginning and shes lucky to have herfamilys support. For farad, the volunteer counsellor who we met working with dr noorzad, recovery from his ptsd seems a long way away. The trauma that took his brother away is still too recent and raw. Farads recovery is being aided by the treatment and friendship of dr noorzad. At the local football stadium, weve all come to watch a game together. Seeing these players run around today, its easy to forget this stadiums dark past an execution ground during the reign of the taliban. Seeing the scale of the problem, its hard to imagine how and when the country will heal. But there is hope. The effects of recent decades of war on peoples Mental Health is being recognised and some help given, and its clear that many afghans are determined that they and their country will overcome the trauma of war. Hello. Weve got some very changeable weather on the way over the next few days, a lot of cold weather about at the moment, certainly some frost around first thing monday morning and further wintry showers but not as many as we have seen in the last day or so. This is the low pressure that swept across the country in the last 2a hours and in the wake of it you can see a stream of showers coming out of the north atlantic carried by a flow of air all the way from iceland and greenland so cold air establishing itself across the uk and a widespread frost. First thing monday morning temperatures around 2, 3 degrees in most major towns and cities and colder in rural spots. There could be some snow showers in the north. Some of us will wake up to a fresh covering of snow, a couple of centimetres here or there, nothing more than that we dont think. Monday we are in between systems, a cold and frosty start, the winds will be relatively light, a Beautiful Day but you can see something starting to happen, a weather front heading our way and it will be sweeping across the uk over monday night into tuesday and it will spell trouble. In fact, look through the night, snow starts to fall across ireland and approach scotland as well. For a time it will be clear in the east but eventually by the time the front reaches us around rush hour, it is producing snow from the hills of wales, in the pennines and into scotland as well. It will be settling in some areas so it could be a tricky rush hour on tuesday across the country but through the afternoon the front pushes towards the east and in the south it will be mostly sleet and rain. At this stage at least no real problems with snow in the south also in the afternoon it is looking brighter on tuesday. Looking at midweek, one weather front has left us, another comes our way, more low this is separate. There was the initialfund this is separate. There was the initial fund and another with some snow in the north, rain in the south and some strong winds. 0n snow in the north, rain in the south and some strong winds. On this occasion, the winds will be relatively mild, temperatures of ten 01 relatively mild, temperatures of ten or 11 relatively mild, temperatures of ten or11 in the relatively mild, temperatures of ten or 11 in the south, much too mild for snow, five or six in the north so for snow, five or six in the north so there could some settling in the hills on wednesday. 0n so there could some settling in the hills on wednesday. On thursday, that front is out of the way, snowing in scandinavia and central europe, but we are in the wake of the low pressure soap a rush of colder winds, wintry showers but rain as well and in the south and east it will be mostly sunny. Thursday is not looking bad at all across thursday is not looking bad at all a cross m ost thursday is not looking bad at all across most of the uk apart from the north west. This is thursday into friday, the jet stream north west. This is thursday into friday, thejet stream close north west. This is thursday into friday, the jet stream close to us which means the weather will remain u nsettled, which means the weather will remain unsettled, it is blowing from the north west so that is where the weather comes from on friday and it looks like wintry showers could be affecting Northern Areas on friday but many of us enjoying some sunshine also friday, saturday and sunday, a similar pattern, thejet strea m sunday, a similar pattern, thejet stream from the north west bringing that cold air from the north atlantic. Cold north westerly winds will persist, further wintry showers and with that, overnight frosts. Tonight at ten, 0xfam is told it could lose tax payer funding, following the scandal involving aid workers and prostitutes. The International Development secretary says the charity lied about the full details of what went on in haiti seven years ago. If the moral leadership at the top of the organisation isnt than we cannot have you as a partner. And tonight there are reports other charities have investigated staff over Sexual Misconduct allegations. Also on the programme. President putin orders a special investigation into the crash of a russian airliner, killing all 71 people on board. Selling its brexit plans the government is to clarify the future relationship it wants to see between the uk and eu. The fate of south africas president zuma, mired in corruption scandals,