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Afghanistan

Last Updated: 11 March 2014

Casualties and Victim Assistance

Summary findings

·         More accurate and detailed information on casualties of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW) need to be collected and shared in order to address the need of survivors.

·         The national disability plan is being revised and the new plan needs to be adopted and implemented with some form of monitoring.

·         Access to physical rehabilitation needs to be expanded, particularly in provinces lacking services or where traveling to receive rehabilitation is difficult for survivors.

Victim assistance commitments

Afghanistan is responsible for significant numbers of landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other ERW who are in need. Afghanistan has made commitments to provide victim assistance through the Mine Ban Treaty and has victim assistance obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Casualties

Casualties Overview

All known casualties by end 2012

21,719 mine/ERW casualties (4,165 people killed; 17,554 injured) since 1979, in data collected by the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA); not including casualties of victim-activated IEDs

Casualties in 2012

1,422 (2011: 812)

2012 casualties by outcome

544 killed; 878 injured (2011: 331 killed; 481 injured)

2012 casualties by device type

34 antipersonnel mine; 38 antivehicle mine; 336 ERW; 987 victim-activated IED*; 10 undefined mine types; and 17 unknown device type

*the number of victim-activated IED casualties in 2012 was adjusted based on updated data from UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reporting in February 2014, resulting in a significant increase and almost doubling the annual casualty total, which was initially recorded by the Monitor as 780 (see below).

For 2012, the Monitor identified at least 1,422 casualties due to mines, victim-activated IEDs, and ERW in Afghanistan.

As in past years, the vast majority of recorded casualties in 2012 were civilians, making 93% (1,329) of the total.

Children made up a third (34%) of the total civilian casualties where the age was known (432 including at least 91 girls).[1] In 2011, children (373) accounted for 52% of civilian casualties.

Another 848 civilian casualties in 2012 were adults, including at least 71 women.[2] In 2012, clearance accidents caused 16 casualties among deminers, a decrease from 25 deminer casualties in 2011. Another 77 casualties were military and security personnel. As in 2011, landmines of all types, including victim-activated IEDs, caused the most casualties recorded by the Monitor (1,280).

The 2012 casualty total of 1,422 represented a significant increase from the 812 mine/ERW casualties the Monitor identified in Afghanistan for 2011. However, due to a newly available source for data on IED casualties this may not represent a trend.

Of the casualty total for 2012, 363 casualties (91 killed; 272 injured) were reported by MACCA, including 96 adults and 267 children. Of the MACCA total, 329 casualties were caused by ERW, only 17 by antipersonnel mines and another 17 by antivehicle mines.[3] ERW left at the former bases of coalition forces was reported to have killed more than 50 civilians since 2008, with “nearly all of them” killed in 2012.[4] MACCA recorded 433 mine/ERW casualties for 2011. The decrease in casualties recorded by MACCA marked a significant achievement of the overall efforts of mine action operations. However, due to several factors, it is possible that the number of mine/ERW casualties in 2012 could be greater than that registered by MACCA. Casualty data is mostly collected by mine risk education teams, particularly by the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS). At the end of March 2012, the number of mine risk education teams decreased due to lack of donor support, resulting in less access to the places where mine/ERW incidents may have occurred, particularly in remote areas. HI’s community-based mine risk education program, which was involved in casualty data collection in 18 southern districts, also stopped operating by the end of March 2012 due to insufficient funds; this may have resulted in a decrease in the data collected in those areas.[5]

The total number of victim-activated IED casualties for 2012, as reported in 2014, was far higher than those identified in previous years. UNAMA reported 913 civilian victim-activated IED casualties (393 killed and 520 injured) in total in 2012.[6]

MACCA data indicated that between 1979 and 2012 there had been 21,719 mine/ERW casualties (4,165 people killed and 17,554 injured), not including victim-activated IED casualties.[7]

Cluster munition casualties

Some 745 casualties of cluster munition remnants were recorded between 1980 and the end of 2012. In addition, at least 26 casualties during cluster munitions strikes have been recorded.[8] MACCA casualty data contained detailed information on 222 submunition casualties in incidents since 1984. No cluster munition casualties have been recorded by MACCA since 2010.[9]

Victim Assistance

The total number of survivors in Afghanistan is unknown, but in 2006 the number was estimated to be 52,000–60,000.[10]

Victim assistance since 1999[11]

Access to victim assistance in Afghanistan was hampered by a severe lack of services, poor to non-existent infrastructure, ongoing conflict, and poverty. However, Afghanistan did make progress in victim assistance and disability issues, supported by significant international funds that were needed to improve services and conditions. A lack of coordination among donors funding services for persons with disabilities alongside other competing priorities for assistance was identified as a challenge. Ministries demonstrated more national ownership of services for persons with disabilities, which were integrated into ministry policies and strategic planning with the assistance of MACCA technical advisors. National NGOs, disabled person’s organizations (DPOs), and survivors’ organization became increasingly active and participated regularly in disability coordination.

Movement restrictions (due to conflict, lack of roads, and the cost of transport) were persistent obstacles to victim assistance in some parts of the country that continued through 2012. Geographic coverage of healthcare expanded. Physical rehabilitation coverage remained insufficient despite improvements. Physical rehabilitation services were almost entirely operated by international NGOs and the ICRC under the coordination of the government. Psychosocial support services increased from almost non-existent, as did peer-to-peer support, though they were still insufficient to meet demand and needs. A community-based rehabilitation (CBR) network grew and became better coordinated. Economic reintegration projects were limited and conducted mostly by NGOs under the coordination of relevant ministries, while ministries paid some disability pensions and ran some vocational training. Inclusive education has increased since 2008. Disability legislation was adopted, but parts of the legislation were discriminatory against persons with disabilities.

Assessing victim assistance needs

No new national survey or needs assessment was conducted for mine/ERW survivors in 2012. MACCA technical advisors worked with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to develop an agreement on the inclusion of mine casualty data collection and reporting in the health management information system.[12]

Most service providers collected information on the needs of survivors for use in their own programs. All recent assessments were carried out at local or regional levels focusing on specific issues such as physical rehabilitation or accessibility. The last comprehensive disability survey was in 2005.[13]

In 2012, HI conducted a CBR Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) survey in some districts of Kabul.[14] Afghan Amputee Bicyclists for Rehabilitation and Recreation (AABRAR) also conducted KAP surveys in Kabul in 2012.[15]

Victim assistance coordination[16]

Government coordinating body/focal point

Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs, and the Disabled (MoLSAMD), MoPH and the Ministry of Education (MoE) with MACCA technical support and funding; as well as the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA)

Coordinating mechanisms

The Disability Stakeholder Coordination Group (DSCG); the Disability and Physical Rehabilitation Taskforce and several other groups (see below)

Plan

None: the Afghanistan National Disability Action Plan (ANDAP) was being revised

MoLSAMD is the focal point for victim assistance issues. The MoPH and the MoE are involved in disability services and advocacy activities. MoPH coordinates CBR and provides physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support services. The MoPH also coordinates training programs for physiotherapists and healthcare providers.[17] The work of these three key ministries is supported by MACCA technical advisers, who are funded by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).

All Afghan ministries are supposed to addresses the rights of persons with disabilities as a crosscutting issue. The MoPH is responsible for medical treatment and physical rehabilitation. Its plan of action consists of the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and the Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS); physiotherapy services are included in both, while prosthetic services were only included in the EPHS. The MoPH Strategic Framework 2011–2015 counted improving disability services among its priorities, and the Ministry’s focal point for disability, the Disability and Physical Rehabilitation Department (DRD), had an implementation strategy for the framework. MoLSAMD was responsible for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through benefits and the pension system, while the MoE worked toward ensuring access to education. MACCA assists with overall coordination in the areas of disability and victim assistance.[18]

In 2012, there was no specific coordination body for victim assistance. Several groups, including those noted above, regularly held meetings relevant to victim assistance in Kabul and at the regional level. These meetings resulted in improved coordination and cooperation between actors, strengthened support and cooperation between the responsible ministries and other stakeholders, as well as improved advocacy and awareness-raising. Most victim assistance service providers and actors reported having attended most meetings.[19] The various coordination group meetings included the following: [20]

·         DSCG meetings, led by MoLSAMD and supported by MACCA technical advisors, were held regularly in 2012. Thirteen meetings of the DSCG were held during the year to coordinate activities, share relevant information and ideas, and advocate for adequate legislation for persons with disabilities;

·         The Disability and Physical Rehabilitation Taskforce, coordinated by the MoPH, included more than 15 members from the relevant directorates and ministerial departments, international and national organizations, and DPOs. Four taskforce meetings were organized in 2012;

·         The Advocacy Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ACPD), which consisted of representatives of civil society and relevant ministries, promoted implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The ACPD held 24 meetings and advocacy events in 2012;

·         The Afghan CBR network conducted four meetings in 2012. The MoPH-DRD coordinated the CBR network and was responsible for reporting on rehabilitation services;

·         The Afghan National Society for Orthotics and Prosthetics also had four meetings during 2012;

·         The Inclusive Child Friendly Education-Coordination Working Group (ICFE-CWG), chaired by the MoE, met six times in 2012. Most stakeholders in inclusive education attended ICFE-CWG meetings where activities and challenges were shared and discussed;[21]

·         The Inter-ministerial Taskforce on Disability, chaired by the MoPH-DRD and hosted by MoLSAMD, held irregular taskforce meetings on an as-needed basis; five meetings were organized in 2012. As a result of the meetings, a review of BPHS guidelines was ongoing through 2012. Another result was that a training manual for health workers on disability and national rehabilitation was reviewed; it was being finalized in 2013.

In 2012, Afghanistan was in the process of revising the Afghanistan National Disability Action Plan (ANDAP) 2008–2011. The revision process was led by MoLSAMD, which drafted the Afghanistan National Policy for Persons with Disabilities that was to be implemented through the revised ANDAP . There was no review of ANDAP when it expired at the end of 2011 and no comprehensive monitoring of the plan was made up to June 2013.[22]

There was a need for improved donor coordination to ensure that disability issues were not lost among competing priorities of donors.[23]

Afghanistan provided information on progress in and challenges to victim assistance at the Convention on Cluster Munitions Meeting of States Parties in 2012, the Mine Ban Treaty Twelfth Meeting of States Parties in 2012, and also at the meeting of the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in May 2013. Afghanistan made extensive use of all sections of its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report, using form H to present victim assistance achievements, the overall state of assistance, ministry contacts, and the budget required to further implement assistance. Afghanistan included detailed reporting on victim assistance activities in its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 reporting for 2012.[24]

Survivor inclusion and participation

Afghanistan reported that mine/ERW survivors and their representative organizations were included in the planning and provision of victim assistance in 2012.[25] Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were included in decision-making and participated in the various coordination group meetings.[26] Survivors and their representative organizations were also involved in the plan development process for the next ANDAP.[27] However, it was previously noted that survivors were not always seen to be closely consulted in decision-making.[28] It was also reported that survivors are not sufficiently integrated in the planning of victim assistance in 2012.[29]

Parents of children with disabilities were involved in MoE inclusive education training in Kabul, which resulted in increased enrollment of children with disabilities into mainstream schools.[30]

Many NGOs had a significant proportion of employees who were persons with disabilities. Mine/ERW survivors were included in the implementation of peer support, rehabilitation, and other services. Persons with disabilities employed by MACCA supported the activities of the key ministries and were included in NGO activities that MACCA supported.[31] MoPH-DRD data, collected from national physical rehabilitation sources, indicated that 63% of all technical and administrative staff in the rehabilitation sector were persons with disabilities.[32]

The ICRC Afghan physical rehabilitation project was managed by persons with disabilities. Through 2012, the rehabilitation project maintained a policy of “positive discrimination,” employing and training only people with disabilities. Service provision was entirely managed by survivors and persons with disabilities. ICRC continuously consulted with and involved the survivors in the decision-making process as survivors were fully integrated into its operations.  The positive discrimination policy also aimed to demonstrate that people with disabilities are an asset to society, not a burden.[33]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[34]

Type of organization

Name of organization

Type of activity

Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2012 (Afghan year 1391)

Government

MoLSAMD

Technical support and training and coordination

Ongoing

MoPH

Emergency and continuing medical care, medication, surgery, awareness-raising, counseling (supported by the World Bank, UN and donors)

Ongoing

MoE

Inclusive education

Expanded inclusive education training; increased enrolment of children with disabilities

National NGO

Afghan Amputee Bicyclists for Rehabilitation and Recreation (AABRAR)

Physiotherapy, education, and vocational training; sport and recreation

Increased the geographical coverage in the area of disability, however, the number of services people assisted was significantly decreased due to decrease in funding

Afghan Disabled Vulnerable Society (ADVS)

Support of the Afghan Disabled Cricket Team in Nangarhar Province

Increased social participation through sport

ALSO

Social and economic inclusion, including peer support, physical accessibility, public awareness, literacy and vocational training “mainstreaming centers,” and advocacy in Balkh, Bamyan, Hirat, and Kabul Provinces

Ongoing; no change in coverage but the number of project beneficiaries increased

Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)

CBR, education, and economic inclusion, physical accessibility, access to schools for mine survivors and others persons with disabilities

Increase in key public buildings made accessible

Afghan Volunteer Doctor Association (AVDA)

Primary Care for persons with disabilities and Physical Rehabilitation in Nangarhar Province

Increase in physiotherapy services

Community Center for Disabled People (CCD)

Social and economic inclusion and advocacy in Kabul

Increased vocational awareness, education and sport activities

Development and Ability Organization (DAO)

Social inclusion, advocacy, rehabilitation and income-generating projects

Due to funding restrictions some activities decreased

Empor Organization (EO)

Physical Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Technician Training in Kabul Province

Ongoing

Kabul Orthopedic Organization (KOO)

Physical rehabilitation and vocational training, including for Ministry of Defense/military casualties

Increased geographic coverage despite lack of donor funding

Rehabilitee Organization for Afghan War Victims (ROAWV)

Economic inclusion training in Bamyan and Daykundi provinces

Ongoing

Sustainable Alternative Economic Development for Afghans (SAEDA)

PWD Resource Center, Economic Reintegration and Peer Support Activities in Kunduz Province

Ongoing

Welfare Organization for Afghan People (WOAP)

Economic Reintegration in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar Provinces

Ongoing

National organization

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)

Awareness-raising and rights advocacy program for persons with disabilities’ organization; monitoring

Increased activities; and conducted accessibility survey

International NGO

Clear Path International (CPI)

Economic inclusion for demining survivors; funding, coordination and capacity building through project partnerships with 12 Afghan NGOs: social support project, social and economic inclusion, a support center, physical rehabilitation, and physical accessibility and awareness raising programs

Increased number of direct beneficiaries and physical accessibility coverage and disability awareness raising activities

HI

Physical rehabilitation programs operated in Herat on physical rehabilitation within the BPHS and Kandahar, with Kandahar concentrating on prosthetics and orthopedics, awareness raising and economic inclusion

Physical rehabilitation beneficiaries increased; but faced significant challenges due to decreasing funding opportunities

Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA-RAD)

CBR, physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support, economic inclusion through revolving loans, inclusive education, advocacy, and capacity-building

Increased the number of beneficiaries by 10%; improved quality of physical rehabilitation services

International organization

ICRC

Emergency medical care; physical rehabilitation including physiotherapy, prosthetics, and other mobility devices; economic inclusion and social reintegration including education, vocational training, micro-finance, and employment for persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors

Increased total number of beneficiaries; increased social and economic inclusion activities

Emergency and continuing medical care

The ICRC reported that obtaining appropriate and timely medical treatment in conflict-affected areas remained difficult for much of the population. Attacks on medical personnel and facilities further impeded services.[35]

Physical rehabilitation including prosthetics

Physical rehabilitation was not available in all provinces and, in many cases, traveling to other provinces to receive rehabilitation services was difficult for survivors and other persons with disabilities.[36] Based on meetings with different stakeholder organizations, AABRAR found that the quantity of physical rehabilitation had increased, however the quality of physical rehabilitation, including for prostheses, required improvement.[37]

The MoPH reported that there were no changes in the accessibility to or quality of rehabilitation services, including prosthetic devices, in 2012. However, steps were taken to make rehabilitation services more sustainable. A list of priority provinces where there was a need to maintain, or establish, orthopedic workshops was developed and also included in the revised EPHS package for funding in the future through the national development budget.[38]

KOO increased its geographic coverage to cover three locations in Kabul and the surrounding district.[39] SRA-RAD increased beneficiaries, including the number of women and children provided with transportation and accommodation at their facilities with an outreach program and mobile orthopedic workshop. The quality of the prosthetics components and materials increased due to improved supply and additional staff training.[40] The number of people benefiting from HI’s physical rehabilitation services in Kandahar increased by 16%. The number attending BPHS clinics in Herat also increased in 2012 compared to 2011, in part due to greater community awareness, a new community based referral system, and closer links with partners.[41] The number of new patients registered with the ICRC increased by 27% from 2011, while the total number of patients assisted increased by 9%.[42]

Social and economic inclusion and psychological support

Inclusive education training by the MoE for teachers, as well as for children with disabilities and their parents, continued to increase in 2012. More than 2,000 teachers and children with disabilities and their parents received inclusive education training coordinated by the MoE with financial support from UNMAS through MACCA; 60% of schoolteachers trained were female.[43]

A lack of psychosocial support, particularly peer support, remained one of the largest gaps in the government-coordinated victim assistance and disability programs, though some national and international NGOs provided these services.[44] Psychosocial rehabilitation counselors are included in each district hospital and provide services to the population in general, including survivors.[45]

Three thousand persons with disabilities were supported by the ICRC social reintegration program in the areas of education, microfinance, vocational training, employment, and sport. Wheelchair basketball teams were created, two new basketball courts built (Kabul and Jalalabad), and players’ training and tournaments organized. [46] In most of the ICRC rehabilitation centers, sport became a consolidated activity to effectively address physical rehabilitation and social reintegration.

To develop a strategy for victim assistance projects in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, an expert consultant carried out a CBR assessment and situation analysis for HI in October 2012. The recommendations included training of community workers on basic rehabilitation techniques, psychosocial support through use of peer support groups, awareness-raising on disability, and increased access to livelihood opportunities.[47]

Accessibility

Physical accessibility remained a significant challenge because persons with disabilities in Afghanistan lacked access to many existing services. In Kabul, for example, some 95% of public buildings were not accessible for persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[48] The buildings of the department of MoLSAMD that provides services to persons with disabilities were not physically accessible to all persons with disabilities; many parts were unreachable for wheelchair users.[49]

In 2012, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission conducted a survey on accessibility in 22 provinces.[50] advocacy and awareness-raising sessions on the importance of making the physical environment, especially hospitals and health facilities, accessible to survivors were ongoing activities of the MoPH-DRD.[51] To address accessibility challenges in the long term, CPI created the Physical Accessibility Projects Consortium for Afghanistan, partnering with the AABRAR, ALSO, and AOAD in 2011. CPI combined specific site-adapted physical accessibility projects with awareness-raising on disability issues in the community. CPI’s extensive network of project partners in 2012 also included: ADVS, AVDA, DAO, EO, the Engineering and Medical Department for Afghan Development (EMDAD), ROAWV, the SAEDA, and WOAP.[52]

Laws and policies

The National Law for the Rights and Privileges of Persons with Disabilities was authorized in August 2010. However, the law contained discriminatory provisions and was not in conformity with the principles of the CRPD.[53] In 2013, a review of the legislation was proposed by disability stakeholders in order to make it consistent with the CRPD.[54]

The constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination against citizens and requires the state to assist persons who have disabilities and to protect their rights, which include healthcare and financial protection. MoLSAMD accorded special treatment to families of those killed in war.[55]

Afghanistan ratified the CRPD on 18 September 2012.

 



[1] For 49 casualties the age was not recorded.

[2] For 244 casualties the sex was not recorded.

[3] Email from Shamsullah Yousufzai, Chief Information Officer, MACCA, 13 May 2013.

[4] Jay Price, “UN: Unexploded ordnance killing Afghan civilians as U.S.-led coalition abandons bases,” McClatchy (Kabul), 18 July 2013, www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/07/18/197071/un-unexploded-ordinance-killing.html - .Ueugym3is-k.

[5] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Awlia Mayar, Mine Action Technical Advisor, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[6] UNAMA Protection of Civilians Annual Report 2013, pages 19–29; and email exchange with UNAMA 17 February 2014.

[7] Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2012, p. 82.

[8] HI, Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities (Brussels: HI, May 2007), p. 95. The ICRC recorded 707 casualties occurring during cluster munition use between 1980 and 31 December 2006 to which 38 casualties from 2007 to the end of 2010 recorded by MACCA were added. Due to under-reporting, it is likely that the numbers of casualties during use as well as those caused by unexploded submunitions were significantly higher. Email from MACCA, 18 February 2010.

[9] Email from Shamsullah Yousufzai, MACCA, 13 May 2013.

[10] HI, “Understanding the Challenge Ahead, National Disability Survey in Afghanistan,” Kabul, 2006.

[11] See previous country reports and country profiles in the Monitor, www.the-monitor.org; and Voices from the Ground: Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Survivors Speak Out on Victim Assistance, (Brussels, HI, September 2009), pp. 1314.

[12] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Razi Khan Hamdard, Senior Technical Coordinator and Disability Advisor, MoPH/MACCA, Kabul, 20 May 2013.

[13] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[14] Ibid. See also Silva Ferretti, “HI - Final presentation,” 30 June 2013, www.hprezi.com/8q-0us7amy5c/hi-final-presentation/?auth_key=b4553982af4899f85fb2fe43ce4ffd7e4321b158.

[15] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Naseem, Program Coordinator, AABRAR, Kabul, 23 May 2013.

[16] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2013), Form J; and Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (For calendar year 2012), Form H.

[17] Convention on Cluster Munition Article 7 report, Form H, 30 August 2012.

[18] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme (PRP), “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva 2013; Convention on Cluster Munition Article 7 report, Form H, 30 August 2012; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form J.

[19] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Sadiq Mohibi, Advisor, MoLSAMD, Kabul, 10 June 2013.

[20] Ibid; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[21] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mutahar Shah Akhgar, Senior Disability and Education Advisor, MoE Kabul, 14 May 2013.

[22] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Sadiq Mohibi, MoLSAMD, Kabul, 10 June 2013.

[23] Observation during Monitor field mission, 11–17 May 2012.

[24] Statements of Afghanistan, Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Meeting of States Parties, Oslo, 12 September 2012; Twelfth Meeting of States Parties, Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 4 December 2012; and Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-economic Reintegration, Geneva, 29 May 2013; Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form J; and Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form H.

[25] Convention on Cluster Munitions, Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2011), Form H.

[26] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Sadiq Mohibi, MoLSAMD, Kabul, 10 June 2013; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form J.

[27] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Sadiq Mohibi, MoLSAMD, Kabul, 10 June 2013.

[28] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Alberto Cairo, Head of Program, ICRC, 22 April 2012.

[29] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[30] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mutahar Shah Akhgar, MoE, Kabul, 14 May 2013.

[31] Interviews and observations from Monitor field mission, 11–17 May 2012.

[32] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form J. Reporting stated that 560 of 894 technical and administrative staff were persons with disabilities.

[33] ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva 2013.

[34] Responses to Monitor questionnaires by: Sulaiman Safdar, Director, ALSO, 25 June 2013; Mohammad Ali Mohabati, National Coordinator for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, AIHRC, Kabul, 18 June 2013; Fahima Kohistani, Deputy Director, KOO, Kotal Khairkhana, 27 May 2013; Mutahar Shah Akhgar, MoE, Kabul, 14 May 2013; Mohammad Amin Qanet, Head of Rehabilitation, SCA-RAD, Kabul, 11 June 2013; Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013; Mohammad Naseem, AABRAR, Kabul, 23 May 2013; Razi Khan Hamdard, Senior Technical Coordinator and Disability Advisor, MoPH/MACCA, Kabul, 20 May 2013; Alberto Cairo, ICRC, Kabul, 26 May 2013; and interview with Matthew Rodieck, and Chris Fidler, CPI - Afghanistan, Kabul, 14 May 2012; and telephone interview, 27 December 2012.

[35] ICRC, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, 2013, p. 244.

[36] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Ali Mohabati, AIHRC, Kabul, 18 June 2013.

[37] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Naseem, AABRAR, Kabul, 23 May 2013.

[38] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Razi Khan Hamdard, MoPH/MACCA, Kabul, 20 May 2013.

[39] Response to Monitor questionnaire Fahima Kohistani, KOO, Kotal Khairkhana, 27 May 2013.

[40] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mohammad Amin Qanet, SCA-RAD, Kabul, 11 June 2013.

[41] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[42] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Alberto Cairo, ICRC, Kabul, 26 May 2013. The number of new patients registered with the ICRC increased from 6,256 in 2011 to 7,952 in 2012, the total number from 73,552 in 2011 to 80,528 in 2012.

[43] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Mutahar Shah Akhgar, MoE, Kabul, 14 May 2013.

[44] Observation during Monitor field mission, 11–17 May 2012.

[45] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Razi Khan Hamdard, MoPH/MACCA, Kabul, 20 May 2013.

[46] ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva 2013.

[47] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Samiulhaq Sami, HI, Kabul, 26 May 2013.

[48] ALSO, “Conference on Peer Support and Physical Accessibility in Kabul 1st August 2010–3 Aug 2010,” www.afghanlandminesurvivors.org.

[49] Observation during Monitor field mission, 11–17 May 2012.

[50] See AIHRC, “Study on the Situation of Physical Accessibility of Persons with Disabilities to Public Places,” Kabul, 2012, www.aihrc.org.af/media/files/Sections/PWD/Physical Accessibility of Persons with Disabilities to Public Places.pdf.

[51] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Razi Khan Hamdard, MoPH/MACCA, Kabul, 20 May 2013.

[52] Interview with Matthew Rodieck, and Chris Fidler, CPI - Afghanistan, Kabul, 14 May 2012; and telephone interview, 27 December 2012.

[53] ALSO, “The New Disability Law of Afghanistan,” 30 July 2011, www.afghanlandminesurvivors.org; and statement of ICBL and statement of Afghanistan, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 22 June 2011.

[54] Presentation by Afghanistan, Convention on Cluster Munitions, Technical Workshop on Victim Assistance, Geneva, 15 April 2013.

[55] US Department of State, “2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Afghanistan,” Washington, DC, 17 April 2013.