Afghanistan's Loosing Battle for Children

When one mentions war ones first thought drifts to Iraq, and then one may think of the DRC thanks to recent media coverage, however the continual plague of war in many countries, including Afghanistan, continues. While attention has long since faded since the October 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the country remains engrossed in conflict, and the bright lights of peace seem far away. While many parts of northern Afghanistan remain somewhat stable, the southern part of the country continues in conflict, leaving the country in an overall state of instability. As with all war's it is the children of Afghanistan who have had to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the conflict, and while aid and restructuring have occurred, they have only shown a mild improvement in many children's lives.

In previous posts one may recall stories about the egregious violations against children in Afghanistan. Stories which included; the increase of child marriages often been fueled by the poppy debts, the rise of child soldiers, the use of children as suicide bombers, lack of suitable and accessible education, gender inequality, malnutrition and detrimental effects on children's health and mortality. All of these issues remain on the forefront for children's rights and welfare in the country.

Last March in the post, The State of Afghanistan's Children Almost Seven Years After the Invasion, the serverity of the situation for children in the country was illustrated by a number of shocking figures and reports, including; Taking Stock: Afghanistan Women and Girls Seven Years On. The report showed that little had improved in Afghanistan for women and girls, and that the country remained one of the most dangerous places in the world to be female. According to the report, 8 out of 10 women are affected by domestic violence; over 60% of all marriages are forced; and half of all girls are married before the age of 16. Maternal mortality rates are one of the highest in the world and sadly in the last 8 months little positive change has been seen on any of these figures.

Poverty has become the shackle holding many children into forced labor, to help pay off family debts. A report in showed the grave extent of child labor and its impact on one province in Afghanistan. “Children work 8-12 hours a day to help their parents meet their financial needs,” said Mohammad Afzal, the head of Wadan Afghanistan in Nangarhar Province (IRIN). Key findings of the report on 38 brick-making factories showed;

Total families – 556
Total children – 3,456
Child labourers – 2,298
Children going to school – 257
Children not going to school – 2,071
Children with disabilities – 51
*Source: Wadan Afghanistan/ CAPN Survey 2008

Last Monday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued his first report to the UN Security Council on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan. In his report the Secretary-General called for more focus and attention on the issue of sexual abuse of children by members of the armed forces and other armed milita groups especially that of boys, including the practice of “bacha bazi”, a practice of keeping young boys being kept as sex slaves.

“The report really shows how difficult the situation is and to some degree it is worsening. This goes for several of the violations in particular attacks against schools and health centres, killing and maiming and grave sexual violence and to some degree recruitment of children (to armed groups),” Hilde F. Johnson, deputy executive director of UNICEF (Reuters).

It is apparent that while progresses in Afghanistan have been made since 2001, that many violations against children continue with impunity or little sight of change. While more girls may now be in school, attacks on schools have increased. Sexual abuse against boys and girls continues to plague children and parents as impunity for such crimes runs rampant. Additionally child marriages in the country continue, and are increasing in many areas, a fight against which is not aided by the fact that the age at which one is deemed an adult in the country is 15, in violation of international law.

These violations are compounded by other effects of the war including the high numbers of children which have been killed or disabled due to the conflict. Disability has been a large cause for strain on the healthcare system, and a huge impediment to access of education for children. According to a 2005 survey by Handicap International, there are at least 200,000 children in 2005, a number which has only since increased and will continue to do so, the country with permanent disability (physical, sensory and/or mental impairment), all of which have limited to no access to an education. Physical access to quality education for all children in the country is often difficult; however those with disabilities' are additionally disadvantaged as the government has no clear policies on disability rights.

It is all too clear that Afghanistan, and the international community, has been losing the battle to protect the country's children, and while the continued conflict and instability make securing children's welfare difficult, it is not impossible and improvements can be, and must be made. Increasing awareness on these issues is step one; this must be followed by an end to the impunity of many crimes against children including all forms of sexual abuse. Aid and sustainable development programs must be increased in the country, including microenterprise and financing, combined with education, must be put into place, to ensure that families see that their children are placed into school and not early marriages and child labor. The increasing of access to adequate healthcare and education must continue, as should disability access and rights. The list of 'to do's’ is a long one; however a necessary one and it is up to the international community and the government of Afghanistan to see that the future for both the children and the country are secured.