Tha Cost of War in Afghanistan

March 6, 2010
Afghan Civil Society Forum, et al

The past three decades of war and disorder have had a devastating impact on the Afghan people. Millions have been killed, millions more have been forced to flee their homes and the country’s infrastructure and forests have all but been destroyed. The social fabric of the country is fractured and state institutions are fragile and weak.

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Afghan Experiences of Conflict, 1978-2009
Executive Summary

For the complete Report, click here.

(November 2009) — The past three decades of war and disorder have had a devastating impact on the Afghan people. Millions have been killed, millions more have been forced to flee their homes and the country’s infrastructure and forests have all but been destroyed. The social fabric of the country is fractured and state institutions are fragile and weak.

Much has been written about the wars in Afghanistan and the basic narrative of the conflict, in one form or another, has been repeated in countless books, academic articles and news reports. But the voices of ordinary Afghans are often absent from these accounts, and yet it is the Afghan people who are most affected by the violence. To better understand how Afghans have experienced and understand the conflict, eight nongovernmental organizations operating in Afghanistan conducted research in 14 provinces across the country. This research focused on individual experiences of the past thirty years of conflict, perceptions of the current conflict and recommendations for alleviating the violence and addressing its root causes.

This research does not aim to provide a full accounting of the fighting or to represent the views and experiences of all Afghans. Rather, it seeks to more fully articulate Afghan experiences of the conflict and its recommendations seek to convey the aspirations that Afghans have for peace and the future of their country.

Experiences of Conflict
Three decades of war created a lot of problems for us. We migrated to Pakistan, our houses were destroyed, our land and property were grabbed by warlords, the economy was badly affected, our sons and daughters were deprived of education, our women were insulted… schools, hospitals, roads and factories were destroyed and fear of war has caused many mental problems. -- Male, Kunar

After decades of relative stability, the overthrow of Daoud Khan in 1978 and the subsequent invasion by Soviet forces in 1979 marked the beginning of a prolonged period of conflict. As mujahadeen resistance groups grew in strength, waging guerrilla warfare and drawing Soviet forces further into the conflict, the abuses committed by both sides intensified. In the years of conflict that followed, more than 870,000 Afghans were killed, three million were maimed or wounded, a million were internally displaced and over five million were forced to flee the country.

Soviet forces withdrew in 1989, leaving the government increasingly reliant on militias to maintain control. While many Afghans hoped that the departure of Soviet forces would bring peace, the country became increasingly unstable. Through the first half of the 1990s, as mujahadeen factions turned on one another and waged bloody battles for control, civilians were subject to arbitrary, retaliatory and often random violence including robbery, torture, imprisonment and rape.

The Taliban emerged out of the chaos of the civil war, quickly capturing territory and promising security to a war-weary population. Instead, their repressive policies resulted in increased poverty, widespread human rights abuses, ethnic persecution and killings and continued displacement and refugee movement into Pakistan, Iran and other neighboring countries.

After the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, many Afghans were again hopeful that the violence would end and that their lives would improve. But in 2006, the security situation sharply deteriorated and violence is now at its highest levels since 2001. Though life has improved for some Afghans, still nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line, more than a quarter of a million individuals remain displaced inside the country due to the conflict and nearly three million remain in Pakistan and Iran.

A whole generation has grown up never having experienced peace and many Afghans are struggling to cope with the psychological, economic, social and physical ramifications of the conflicts, past and present. Interviews and group discussions conducted with over 700 Afghans help illustrate the impact and scale of the violence over the past three decades:

* Approximately two in five (43%) individuals reported having property destroyed, a quarter (25%) land destroyed and one in three (34%) were robbed during the conflict. The causes and perceived motivations behind these violations were varied but often this was tied to larger patterns of violence deliberately targeting civilians, making many individuals feel unsafe, and negatively affecting their ability to earn an income or feed their family.

* Three in four people (76%) reported being forced to leave their homes at some point during the conflict. Of these, 41% were internally displaced, 42% were externally displaced and 17% were both internally and externally displaced. Many individuals were displaced multiple times, moving from one place to another in search of security, only to be forced to flee once again months or years later or after having returned home again.

* Migration is a critical survival strategy for most Afghans. Notions of “choice” are complex, given the protracted nature of the conflict and how deeply intertwined the violence is with poverty for many Afghans. When asked about the current conflict, 17% stated that they are currently thinking of leaving the country.

* More than one in ten (13%) individuals reported being imprisoned. Detention was most often described as arbitrary and linked with harassment, extortion and threats from parties to the conflict or local power holders, and many survivors describe family members playing bribes or elders negotiating for their safe release.

* One in five (21%) of individuals reported being tortured. Roughly half of the reported cases of torture were linked with imprisonment and most often, torture was driven by perceived ethnicity, political affiliations or, in the case of many women, the perceived affiliations or actions of male family members.

* Just 1% of individuals reported receiving any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. None of the reported instances of compensation or apology were provided by those perceived to be directly responsible for causing harm. Rather, these actions were undertaken by individuals, such as community elders or neighbors, who expressed regret at not having been able to offer greater protection for those harmed.

* Seven in ten (70%) individuals saw unemployment and poverty as a major cause of the conflict, while almost half (48%) pointed to the corruption and ineffectiveness of the Afghan government. Other factors that individuals identified as major drivers of the conflict were: the Taliban (36%); interference by other countries (25%); Al Qaeda (18%); the presence of international forces (18%); lack of support from the international community (17%); warlords (15%); and criminal groups (14%).

Recommendations
We need peace. Afghans have seen the worst wars and worst periods. Now all Afghans are tired of war and conflict. We need peace to educate our children and have a good life. – Male, Kunduz

The individuals consulted overwhelmingly expressed a desire for peace, which they saw as not just an end to the physical violence of war but included respect for basic human rights, the alleviation of poverty, an effective and accountable government and access to basic services such as healthcare and education. Indeed, individuals saw poverty and corruption as the two major drivers of the current conflict and felt that addressing these factors is essential to establishing security.

When asked about what should be done to alleviate the conflict, individuals were eager to explore solutions. Based on the views expressed and the ideas proposed by individuals interviewed, the following steps are recommended to address the causes of conflict and ensure greater protection of civilians:

To the Afghan Government

* Take serious steps to establish the rule of law at all levels, crack down on corruption and end the culture of impunity and patronage, including through root and branch reform of the police and judiciary.

* Investigate crimes and abuses associated with the conflict and pursue justice, acknowledgement, reconciliation and redress.

To the International Community

* Commit and deliver not just more aid, but more effective aid for humanitarian, reconstruction and development activities throughout the country. • Hold the Afghan government accountable and provide more support for it to tackle corruption and criminality.

* Provide strong support for local peacebuilding and conflict resolution initiatives, led by civil society, and urge the Afghan government to pursue justice, acknowledgement, reconciliation and redress for abuses caused during the past three decades of conflict.

* Establish a regional peace process, including all regional powers, to end adverse interference in Afghanistan’s affairs and provide constructive support for its security and economic development.

To Pro-Government Forces

* Do more to protect civilians, including tightening restrictions on the use of force. • Ensure respect for Afghan culture, history and traditions.

* Ensure transparent and timely investigations are conducted of all allegations of harm to civilians and establish effective, responsive and equitable mechanisms of redress.60

To Anti-Government Elements

* Immediately discontinue the targeting of civilians and taking refuge in populated civilian areas.

* Express grievances and demands through political dialogue rather than violence.

Introduction

With the political instability and upheaval that began in the late 1970s, Afghanistan descended into a pattern of conflict, instability and chaos that has continued through the present. More than two million Afghans are estimated to have been killed, over a million disabled and state institutions all but collapsed. Rape of women and children became an all too common occurrence, as did arbitrary detentions, summary executions and torture. Though no accurate counts exists of those who have disappeared, many Afghans still do not know what has happened to missing family members.

Though much has been written about the wars in Afghanistan, the accounts, perspectives and perceptions of ordinary Afghans are often missing. There have been few systematic efforts to examine the damage caused to Afghans by the past three decades of war and little documentation is available on the crimes committed against the Afghan people. There is widespread impunity for war-related abuses and efforts to establish accountability have been largely abandoned, with surprisingly little focus on transitional justice and reconciliation. And yet, unless the Afghan people are given an opportunity to come to terms with their past, there is little prospect for sustainable peace.

This report does not aim to provide a comprehensive catalogue of the violence and abuse associated with the past decades of conflict. Given the sample size and the diversity of experiences from province to province (and indeed, from district to district in some areas), the findings of this research cannot be construed as representative. Nor can the findings be interpreted as reflecting the full range of experiences and voices of a population that is so ethnically, religiously and linguistically varied.

Rather, it reflects the lived experience of conflict in Afghanistan among a relatively geographically diverse population. It seeks to build on existing efforts, particularly those of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, to understand the roots and impact of conflict.

Perhaps more importantly, it represents the views and desires of those who have suffered greatly but have had little power to influence the actors, events and circumstances that have caused them so much harm.

This report is divided into three main sections. The first section provides a brief overview of the complex, chaotic series of conflicts that has plagued Afghanistan since 1978. Emphasizing the impact that conflict has had on ordinary Afghans, this historical narrative is meant to help to ground the broader research findings. The second section focuses on research findings related to individual experiences and perceptions of the conflict over the past three decades. The final section explores recommendations for ending the violence, alleviating the conflict and pursuing appropriate forms of acknowledgement and redress for harm caused.

Acknowledgements
This research was jointly designed and/or carried out by the following organizations: Afghan Civil Society Forum (ACSF), Afghan Peace and Democracy Act (APDA), Association for the Defence of Women’s Rights (ADWR), Cooperation Centre for Afghanistan (CCA), Education Training Center for Poor Women and Girls of Afghanistan (ECW), Oxfam GB, Organization for Human Welfare (OHW), Sanayee Development Organization (SDO) and The Liaison Office (TLO).

The report was written by Ashley Jackson of Oxfam International1. This report was very much the product of a collaborative effort. In particular, the author would like to highlight the contributions made by the following people: Aliase Hassany provided invaluable research support and assistance throughout this process.

Matt Waldman, who originally led the research design, provided support and guidance throughout the process. Wayne Diamond provided valuable support and insight in the research design and analysis, as well as Martin Walsh who provided technical advice on the presentation of the methodology and other technical aspects. Naysan Adlparvar, Paul Fishstein, Nikolaus Grubeck, Susanne Schmeidl and others provided valuable comments on early drafts of this report.

Above all, the author would like to thank the men and women across Afghanistan who generously shared with us their experiences and views of the conflict as well as their ideas of what can be done to alleviate the violence.

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