KABUL (SW) – While Afghanistan has made huge progress over the past two decades, for example by reducing rates of child marriage by 44% over the past 20 years, millions of children are still missing out on their childhood, said Save the Children’s annual Global Childhood Report.
The report evaluates 176 countries on children’s access to health care, education, nutrition and protection – as well as child labour, child marriage, displacement due to conflict and child homicide.
The rates of mortality amongst children under five (6.79%), child stunting (40.9%), children out of school (41.9%) and child labour (29.4%) remain major challenges impacting children’s lives across the country. A staggering 88% of Afghan children aged 6-24 months don’t receive the right amount of daily nutrition, according to UNICEF.
The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is preventing children from reaching their potential. Our survey finds that 15% of Afghanistan’s children have been forcibly displaced as a result of the conflict. Many have had their education disrupted or their schools taken over by armed groups or used for military purposes.
Education is key to Afghanistan’s future, and while there have been significant expansions in access to education for Afghan children— especially girls—since 2001, the past year has seen a rise in targeted attacks on schools, teachers, and students.
According to a report co-authored by Save the Children, in the first five months of 2018, the government recorded 870 attacks on schools, threats or intimidation against students, education staff or facilities, or fighting by armed forces and groups in the vicinity of school grounds. Approximately 1,000 schools are currently damaged, destroyed, occupied by non-state armed groups or Afghan and international forces, or closed because of conflict.
As Save the Children releases its report senior Afghan officials and diplomats are wrapping up at the third international conference on safe schools taking place in Spain.
Onno van Manen, Save the Children’s Afghanistan Country Director, said: “It’s promising that Afghanistan has sent a delegation to Mallorca for the safe schools conference where the country’s endorsement of the Safe School Declaration is being recognized. This is a significant step that the Afghan government has taken to protect children. But there is more to be done to implement the commitments within the declaration. We urge the Afghan government to ensure that schools remain neutral spaces in the conflict. Schools have been used as polling stations and have been occupied by armed forces both of which has been proven to result in attacks. Schools must be off limits and only be used for learning.”
Globally, Save the Children’s report found that at least 280 million children have improved health, education – and are safer than at any time in the past two decades. These improvements are largely thanks to strong political leadership, social investments, and the success of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
While life-changing events for children such as child marriage, early pregnancy, and exclusion from education, sickness and malnutrition remain major problems, the report also highlights the success of government action and development programs.
Of the eight ‘childhood enders’ examined in the report, displacement due to conflict is the only one on the rise, with 30.5 million more forcibly displaced people now than there were in 2000, an 80 percent increase.
Onno van Manen, Afghanistan Country Director for Save the Children, said: “While progress has been remarkable, millions of Afghan children are not attending school and are affected by violence. We must reach every last child and ensure they receive the childhood they deserve.
“The enactment earlier this year of the Law on Protection of Child Rights is an immense achievement for the Afghan government and child rights organizations. This law is intended to help the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Save the Children strongly urges the international community and the Afghan government to put more effort and investment into implementing this law and protect children at risk of being abused.
Save the Children recommends:
The Afghan government establish a clear guideline for the implementation of the Safe School Declaration to protect children in and around school and avoid using schools for military and political purpose.
The Afghan government, national and international NGOs to increase public awareness, especially for parents, of protecting children from harmful work or child marriage, and to encourage them to get an education.
Donors bridge the about 80% budget gap in Humanitarian Response Plan 2019 to increase humanitarian services for children, especially in conflict areas.
For all actors to the conflict in Afghanistan to respect children’s rights and abstain from grave violations of their rights.
ENDS
