FYI: AFGHANISTAN: Disabled people have tough time, lack education, jobs

[Henk Elegeert]

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AFGHANISTAN: Disabled people have tough time, lack education, jobs

KABUL, 3 December 2007 (IRIN) - Abdul Samad was 17 when he lost his
legs in a landmine explosion in Helmand Province in 1998. He wanted to
commit suicide when he first realised his disability, but his family
kept him alive.

Nine years later, although he has five children, he thinks his
problems have only mounted. "My children are also deprived of a happy
life because of my disability," he said.

Plagued by over two decades of war, poverty and underdevelopment,
Afghanistan has about 800,000 people with disabilities out of an
estimated total population of 24.5 million. Many of these are also
illiterate, unemployed or lack access to health services and other
opportunities.

One in five households in Afghanistan has a disabled person, according
to a 2005 survey conducted by Handicap International, an international
non-governmental organisation campaigning on behalf of people living
with disabilities.

About 36 percent of disability in the country is physical, 26 percent
sensorial, 20 percent epilepsy and 10 percent mental, the survey
found.

Education

Over half of Afghanistan's disabled population is under 19, say
organisations helping people with disability.

Over 72 percent of all disabled people over six have not received any
education, Afghanistan's National Disability Survey (NDS) said in
2005.

"Many hurdles impede access to education for people with disability,"
said Samiulhaq Sami, an adviser to the Ministry of Labour, Social
Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled. "Physical, attitudinal and financial
barriers mostly deny education to disabled people," he added.

Most schools and educational centres lack facilities for disabled
people and access to buildings is also a major problem for those with
movement problems.

Employment

Fewer than 30 percent of disabled people have jobs in Afghanistan,
according to government statistics.

Apart from the disability itself, other impediments to employment are
illiteracy and lack of work experience (over half of the disabled
population is under 19).

In an effort to support the participation of disabled people in local
and national decision-making and increase their opportunities, on 2
December the European Commission (EC) provided 1.44 million euros
(about US$2.13 million) for several community-based rehabilitation
projects in 11 provinces in Afghanistan.

"The EC funding will be used to improve local capacities to provide,
promote and support different community-based services for disabled
people," said Hanjorg Kretschmer, head of the EC delegation to
Afghanistan.

Poor health services

Although Afghan officials say access to basic health services has been
extended to about 80 percent of the population, money and
transportation are two of the main problems faced by most disabled
Afghans.

"Among the difficulties reported, disabled persons faced problems
mainly regarding money for fees or medication and transportation (25.1
percent), the absence of transportation (20 percent), and far behind,
the absence of medication (4 percent)," according to the NDS findings.

The government of Afghanistan pays a monthly stipend of 500 Afghanis
(US$10) to war disabled, which is insufficient to meet their basic
needs.

ICRC providing bulk of orthopaedic services

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has
donated prostheses and orthoses (artificial aids such as a brace) to
over 80,000 disabled people since it launched its orthopaedic services
in Afghanistan in 1988.

The ICRC is running its biggest orthopaedic programme in Afghanistan,
where it annually spends about US$10 million on treatment, recovery,
wheelchairs, prostheses and physiotherapy for disabled people in six
orthopaedic centres around the country.

About 6,000 disabled people visit the ICRC orthopaedic centres, and
the organisation distributes an average 14,000 prostheses, every year.

"We provide almost 80 percent of the orthopaedic services in
Afghanistan," Alberto Cairo, head of the ICRC orthopaedic hospital in
Kabul, told IRIN.

A bigger challenge for Afghan disabled people, however, is their
social reintegration, which lags behind orthopaedic services, Cairo
said.
"

En wij gaan er zelf nog een stuk of wat slachtoffers bij  maken?

Henk Elegeert

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