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The UN on Tuesday has released a report detailing how decades of war in Afghanistan have left civilians dealing with lasting psychological, physical, and economic harm, which has since been compounded by a lack of access to justice, compensation and other forms of redress.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) interviewed 195 victims of armed conflict and their relatives about the lasting effects of violence. 95 percent reported psychological or emotional harm, including depression, anxiety and trauma-related symptoms, while 58 percent reported physical harm. Many continue to experience chronic pain, permanent disabilities and ongoing healthcare needs years after being injured.
Some have been unable to work or continue their education because of their injuries. Family members have left jobs or school to provide care, while others struggle to afford medical treatment, repair damaged homes, or support their families. Women widowed by the conflict face additional economic hardship as restrictions imposed by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities limit their ability to work.
For many victims, accountability has not been adequate in nature. 55 percent of those interviewed had never sought compensation, accountability or another form of redress. Some feared retaliation, while others did not believe their complaints would be taken seriously. Of those who did seek redress, 64 percent said their efforts were unsuccessful, pointing to bureaucratic barriers, institutional inaction, perceived discrimination and a lack of transparency.
At the same time, Afghanistan’s mental health crisis cannot be attributed to armed conflict alone. Decades of violence have taken place alongside political instability, economic turmoil, poverty, unemployment, displacement and food insecurity. Chronic drought, natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and other humanitarian crises have added further pressure to an already dire situation.
Individuals who have experienced conflict-related trauma may also be dealing with unemployment, displacement, food insecurity or the loss of their home. These circumstances make psychological recovery more difficult and increase the risk that trauma will continue across generations. However, despite these concerns, the resources available to address it have remained extremely limited.
This lack of redress also needs to be understood within Afghanistan’s socio-political history and the legal changes that followed the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s from Afghan fighters who had resisted the Soviet occupation and students trained in Pakistani religious schools. After years of civil war, the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996 and established an Islamic Emirate, ruling most of Afghanistan until the U.S.-led invasion overthrew them in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks and the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
The Taliban then regrouped in Pakistan and fought a 20-year insurgency against the U.S.-backed Afghan government and international forces. Under a 2020 agreement, the United States agreed to withdraw its troops, and as foreign forces gradually left, the Taliban rapidly captured territory and asserted control over Kabul in August 2021.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, severely restricting women’s education, employment and public life, violating human rights, causing economic hardship and worsening humanitarian needs. Currently, women and girls in Afghanistan are living under what rights defenders call a gender apartheid, a term that was coined in 1997 during the Taliban’s initial power grab.
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The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) interviewed 195 victims of armed conflict and their relatives about the lasting effects of violence. 95 percent reported psychological or emotional harm, including depression, anxiety and trauma-related symptoms, while 58 percent reported physical harm. Many continue to experience chronic pain, permanent disabilities and ongoing healthcare needs years after being injured.
Some have been unable to work or continue their education because of their injuries. Family members have left jobs or school to provide care, while others struggle to afford medical treatment, repair damaged homes, or support their families. Women widowed by the conflict face additional economic hardship as restrictions imposed by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities limit their ability to work.
For many victims, accountability has not been adequate in nature. 55 percent of those interviewed had never sought compensation, accountability or another form of redress. Some feared retaliation, while others did not believe their complaints would be taken seriously. Of those who did seek redress, 64 percent said their efforts were unsuccessful, pointing to bureaucratic barriers, institutional inaction, perceived discrimination and a lack of transparency.
At the same time, Afghanistan’s mental health crisis cannot be attributed to armed conflict alone. Decades of violence have taken place alongside political instability, economic turmoil, poverty, unemployment, displacement and food insecurity. Chronic drought, natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and other humanitarian crises have added further pressure to an already dire situation.
Individuals who have experienced conflict-related trauma may also be dealing with unemployment, displacement, food insecurity or the loss of their home. These circumstances make psychological recovery more difficult and increase the risk that trauma will continue across generations. However, despite these concerns, the resources available to address it have remained extremely limited.
This lack of redress also needs to be understood within Afghanistan’s socio-political history and the legal changes that followed the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s from Afghan fighters who had resisted the Soviet occupation and students trained in Pakistani religious schools. After years of civil war, the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996 and established an Islamic Emirate, ruling most of Afghanistan until the U.S.-led invasion overthrew them in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks and the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
The Taliban then regrouped in Pakistan and fought a 20-year insurgency against the U.S.-backed Afghan government and international forces. Under a 2020 agreement, the United States agreed to withdraw its troops, and as foreign forces gradually left, the Taliban rapidly captured territory and asserted control over Kabul in August 2021.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, severely restricting women’s education, employment and public life, violating human rights, causing economic hardship and worsening humanitarian needs. Currently, women and girls in Afghanistan are living under what rights defenders call a gender apartheid, a term that was coined in 1997 during the Taliban’s initial power grab.
The post UN finds decades of war leave Afghan victims without justice or redress appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.