Afghanistan: Violence affecting children's mental health

Human rights officials in Afghanistan have endorsed earlier findings suggesting that endemic violence is causing considerable psychological trauma and distress among the country’s children, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission in Kabul told RFE/RL that many Afghan children have witnessed acts of violence and seen people killed in bomb attacks or dead bodies on the streets.

A 2009 study by England's Durham University, the first large-scale survey of Afghan children's mental health, reported that one in five children suffers from psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder.

Hasib, 15, witnessed the recent Taliban attack in Kabul, where six militants launched assaults against Afghan and international forces.

He said the attacks caused panic among his classmates, with some still traumatized days later.

"Psychologically it hit everybody hard," he said. "Many of us don't eat properly, we have trouble sleeping and find it hard to concentrate on our studies."

Children have been some of the worst victims of Afghanistan's nearly three decades of war.

According to UNICEF, more than 30 percent of children of elementary-school age are working on the streets in Afghanistan and are often their family's sole breadwinner.

As a result, millions of children miss out on the opportunity to receive an education.

Date: 19 September 2011