Decades of war have left ‘depth and breadth’ of trauma across Afghanistan, UN… — UN News

Victims of Afghanistan’s decades-long armed conflict continue to suffer profound physical, psychological, social and economic consequences, often without access to justice, reparation or formal acknowledgement of the harm done to them, according to a new UN report. Afghanistan has endured over 40 years of continuous warfare, causing widespread death, displacement and destruction. Between 2009 and 2021 – as fighting ground on between coalition and coalition-backed Government forces, the Taliban and other militants – the UN mission in the country (UNAMA) documented more than 40,000 civilians killed and more than 77,000 wounded caused by the conflict. The report focuses on this period of conflict up to the Taliban takeover, interviewing almost 200 victims of armed conflict and their relatives. 95 per cent of people interviewed experienced emotional or psychological harm, reporting depression, anxiety, memory loss, flashbacks and other trauma-related symptoms. Nearly 60 per cent also experienced physical harm, with injuries continuing to affect them for months, years or even decades after the event. Some victims continue to live with chronic pain and disabilities which they struggle to address due to financial barriers and/or lack of available healthcare in Afghanistan. For some, their injuries prevented them from continuing their education and work, with serious economic consequences for them and their families. In some cases, relatives have also had to give up work…