IRIN
AFGHANISTAN: UN making progress in disarmament of child soldiers
30 June 2004


[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

KABUL, 30 June (IRIN) - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is 
continuing its efforts to demobilise upwards of 8,000 child soldiers in 
Afghanistan, a country devastated by over two decades of war.

"Of the children who have been demobilised to date, more than 1,700 have 
been assessed for reintegration programmes," Mohammad Rafi, a UNICEF 
spokesman told IRIN in the Afghan capital, Kabul, explaining that many of 
them were now benefiting from education, vocational skills training 
courses and income generation support in their home communities.

Since the start of its programme in February 2004, 2,203 child soldiers 
between the ages of 14 and 18 years have been disarmed and demobilised in 
eight Afghan provinces including Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan, 
Bamyan, Laghman, Nangarhar and Nooristan.

The child soldier demobilisation effort is running parallel to the 
UN-backed main disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration initiative 
(DDR) programme, which is expected to target over 100,000 ex-soldiers 
across the country.

UNICEF, in collaboration with its partners, will undertake community-based 
rehabilitation projects enabling ex-child soldiers to obtain education and 
create opportunities for an alternative to military life.

According to Rafi, the operation is divided into two phases. Firstly, the 
children are assessed for eligibility within the programme, registered and 
offered medical screening. Secondly, they are provided with durable 
alternative opportunities to military life, including education and 
vocational skills training.

The demobilisation process takes place at the community level, involving 
family members and local community structures to ensure ownership by the 
larger community.

All demobilised children underwent medical and psychological assessments 
and participated in briefings on mine risks, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS 
prevention and basic health education. A profile was then developed for 
each child, which included soldiering status, and preferences that would 
guide the reintegration process. Each demobilised child soldier is issued 
with a personal identification number and an ID card.

The UNICEF official noted that the second phase of the process involved 
the former child soldiers in discussion with NGOs, who would outline 
possible reintegration options, including enrolment in formal education, 
skills training, and apprenticeships. All training options include an 
element of literacy training as 76 percent of demobilised child soldiers 
have received no formal education.

The child soldier demobilisation effort was still ongoing in the eastern 
provinces, and was expected to move to six provinces in central 
Afghanistan and five provinces in the north before the end of 2004, Rafi 
added.


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2004


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