AFGHANISTAN’S CHILDREN & WOMEN: THE

TRAGIC VICTIMS OF WAR

- MOULI DUTTA

“There are a lot of children in Afghanistan but little childhood”

- Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

When reports only allow us to receive information regarding the ongoing attacks, fictions can help in
revealing the true nature of the situation. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner was the first novel that
provided me with an insight into the Afghans and their culture. Set in Kabul, it narrates the story of
two friends – Amir and Hassan against the portrayal of Soviet invasion and the rise of fearsome
Taliban.

Afghanistan has a history of political unrest and horrifying wars; children born in the country grow
up with little to no peace and security in their lives. Since birth, children are more involved in
surviving the violent environment on a daily basis rather than living in prosperity. The ongoing
political chaos brought catastrophe in the lives of ordinary children of the country. As I look at the
terrorizing images of the country, my heart aches for every child that is suffering and losing their
lives and innocence.

A report published by UNICEF identifies Afghanistan as the ‘worst place to be born in the world’.
Indeed, Afghan children suffer extreme poverty and violence every day. The children are in a
constant fear of becoming a prey to death, malnutrition, forced marriages and sexual abuse. If we
look at the facts regarding the principal issues faced by the children, the child mortality rate is
particularly high, 35% of newborns are underweight, only 60% of Afghan children are sent to school
and only 28% of the adult population is literate, 20% of the children are expected to work from a
little age to provide for themselves and their family and the list goes on.

With the recent transfer of power to the Taliban forces has caused an uproar and uncertainty across
Afghanistan. Women around the world face challenges on different grounds every day. Even before
the escalation of hatred and violence, most women required humanitarian assistance; 40 years of
war have resulted into a deadly situation for the people in Afghanistan and 50% of that consists
women. With passing time, I believe women and children are tolerating the increasing blaze of
violence and also the resultant civilian casualties are mostly comprised of women. Women in
Afghanistan continue to face the wrath of domestic violence, abuse and oppression. Over the past
few months, education for women has remained an impossible matter due to the constant attacks
on schools and villages.

The fate of the women and children in Afghanistan remain at a risk of the Taliban forces. The images
portraying the horrifying condition of these two sections of the society make my heart cry out in
pain. I am concerned about their situation and I believe that the rights of women and children must
be respected and safeguarded. The world must not turn its back on them and special services must
continue to be delivered. Women must be allowed to fight for themselves, to work and to move
freely everywhere. According to me, world leaders must come forward and fill the gap to aid funding
so that the women and children continue to receive every essential item and fulfill their needs.

In Afghanistan, there are not only stories of helpless children and families on the run from the
violence but also the stories of broken lives, incomplete dreams and unfulfilled hope. I have always
felt that the world has failed us. Words cannot convey the tremendous grief we all are experiencing
over the ongoing tragedy. Day by day, we are witnessing the victory of the negative forces and yet,
for the first time, my heart felt a sense of yearning for Afghanistan, the world is listening to their
cries and it is crying with them and trying to support them. More than 41 cities and 17 countries
gathered to hold rallies in support of the country. Hopefully, the day will come when women,
children and every last citizen can independently walk through the streets of Kabul and receive
abundant amount of happiness and prosperity. Afghanistan will recover.