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DOL Home > ILAB > OCFT > Afghanistan

Demobilization of Child Soldiers and Socio-Economic Reintegration of War-affected Young People in Afghanistan

ILAB Program

International Child Labor Technical Assistance

Region/Country

SOUTH ASIA/Afghanistan

Project Duration

May 2003 – December 2007

Fiscal Year & Funding Level

FY2002: $3,000,000

Background on Child Labor

Children or adolescents under 18 years of age have been recruited and used as soldiers by all warring factions in over 20 years of resistance and civil war in Afghanistan. The political situation and continued insecurity have made developing a complete picture of child soldiering difficult, and there is currently no accurate data on the number of children who have participated in the Afghan armed conflict. Assessments show that in 2001, large numbers of 14-18-year-olds were recruited, mostly by force.

Problem to be Addressed

Many young people participating in armed conflict have grown up without acquiring any skills other than military skills. If nothing is offered to stimulate their positive development and build their capacity to join in the national reconstruction process, these young people may become a de-stabilizing force in their communities as they not only lack a source of income, but moreover are at risk of returning to military life, or falling prey to criminal elements ready to exploit their desperate economic situation and military skills to involve them in organized crime.

Targets

The project targets 7,750 children for withdrawal and 7,000 children for prevention from child soldiering and other worst forms of child labor (WFCL).

Project Objectives

Development Objective: To facilitate the demobilization of child soldiers/minors associated with the fighting forces and reintegration of war-affected young people (including child soldiers) in Afghanistan and to implement effective measures for their rehabilitation and psycho-social recovery and re-socialization and economic reintegration into their communities.

  1. Stop/prevent recruitment of children under 18 years of age as soldiers, forced or otherwise, and ensure the demobilization, recovery and reintegration of currently serving and former minors associated with armed groups in Afghanistan;
  2. Contribute to the building of a sustainable peace and reconstruction through support to and involvement of young ex-combatants and other war affected groups;
  3. Reintegrate young people into stable and nurturing family environments, providing them with socio-economic opportunities, including access to quality education and psychosocial care by activating the children's existing community support systems and reestablishing age-appropriate daily routines.

Summary of Activities
  • Preventive measures, including legislative review, advocacy and awareness-raising;
  • Demobilization of former child soldiers;
  • Provision of educational, economic and social services to demobilized child soldiers and war-affect youth;
  • Capacity-building of government and civil society actors.

Major Accomplishments
  • As of March 2007, the project has demobilized 7,444 child soldiers through the support of 33 Local Demobilization and Reintegration Committees.
  • Reintegration support, involving a series of interventions including informal education in literacy and life skills, vocational skills training, and psycho-social and medical support, has been provided to 12,144 former child soldiers and other war affected children.
  • As of March, 9,073 children have completed the reintegration process and have been provided with occupational start-up kits to help them secure decent employment.
  • In order to improve protection at the community level, over 150 child well-being/welfare committees have been established and supported to monitor and guard against violations of the rights of children and offer them support.

Partner Organizations

Executing Agency
UNICEF

Implementing and Collaborating Agencies
Afghanistan Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, Ministries of Defense, Education, Martyrs, Disabled, and Social Affairs and the Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority, UNAMA, Child Fund Afghanistan, Christian Children’s Fund, BRAC, Save the Children-UK, Save the Children-Sweden, International Rescue Committee.

Contact Information

Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT)
(202) 693-4843