KABUL, 1 July 2003 - Afghan children and their families have shown amazing resilience in the face of the ills of war, according to The Children of Kabul, a new report published today by UNICEF and Save the Children. It is the coping mechanisms identified in the research for the report that the Government of Afghanistan and other development partners need to build on to meet the psycho-social needs of Afghan children, notes the report.
"The children of Afghanistan are much stronger than perhaps many people would believe, and families have clearly found ways of coping with the impact of the war in order to protect their children," the report's principal author Jo de Berry of Save the Children said today. "It is essential we now support the structures that families have identified as being important to them — such as education — but also ensure that we allow children themselves to suggest solutions to the problems they feel are important. Children in Kabul have already identified many ways through which they can deal with their difficulties, and we need to build upon their own achievements."
The Children of Kabul report is based on more than six months' research with over 600 children and their families living in Kabul. The study looked at the threats to the well-being of children in a war-ravaged country like Afghanistan, and families' ability to cope with the problems they face. Despite many threats to children's well-being in post-war Afghanistan, the report shows that families have developed ways of coping with daily challenges and have discovered strengths and resources to limit the impact of the war on their children. The great majority showed resilience, and had coped with the adverse effects of war.
To enhance children's mental well-being, the report recommends that, instead of focusing on individual trauma counseling, the best interest of the vast majority of Afghan children would be served through a broader psychosocial response.
"In the past we have been too quick to turn to expensive technical responses to what has been labeled 'child trauma' in post-conflict situations, said Elke Wisch, UNICEF's Head of Child Protection in Afghanistan. "The evidence of this report indicates the need for a more holistic approach based on the coping mechanisms that children and families have already developed during years of war in Afghanistan. By strengthening family support structures, helping children gain a sense of normalcy through access to school and play, developing child rights based legal and policy frameworks, improving services and capacities, and reducing physical dangers to children, we can have a much more effective impact on the well-being of children."
Children said they found strength and hope through support received from their families and the protection experienced through being part of the larger community. Their strong faith and striving for morality and courage in times of difficulty were other factors helping them to cope. The research does point to the adverse effects of increasing economic hardship and resulting family poverty which continues to erode existing protection and coping mechanisms.
The research also indicates that Afghan parents, like parents everywhere in the world, have long-term hopes for their children that go well beyond mere survival needs and are not limited to the immediate aftermath of the conflict — hopes that include growing up healthy, a good education and having the opportunity to develop their full potential and contribute to their families and communities. Children themselves pointed to political repression, displacement, poverty, family separation and tensions, illness, physical destruction, and loss of education opportunities as their major concerns.
Based on these findings, the Children of Kabul report proposes the following key actions:
UNICEF and Save the Children have already used the findings of the report to guide their work with Afghan children. Since the research was finished the following initiatives have taken place:
Additional activities and projects in response to the report’s findings about children’s need for psycho-social support, education and protection are limited only by the lack of funds, which both Save the Children and UNICEF seek to expand child protection programmes in Afghanistan.
Copies of the Children of Kabul report may be obtained by contacting Save the Children on 0702 298230 (in Afghanistan) or UNICEF on 0702 74729 or by visiting www.savethechildren.org.
For more information contact:
Shahid Kamal, Save the Children USA, + 93 (0)702 98230
Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Media,+ 93 (0)702 74729
