In Afghanistan, chronic malnutrition a bigger threat than conflict

War in Afghanistan continues amid uncertain peace talks. Renewed fighting in recent weeks is yet another confirmation that this is one of the world’s most dangerous places. Nearly two decades after the fall of the Taliban and the deployment of Canada’s military, perceptions are still being shaped by news stories about conflict, terrorist attacks, and human rights abuses against women and girls. But there is much more to the story of Afghanistan that Canadians are missing. Danger comes in many forms in this country. While in Afghanistan a few weeks ago, I witnessed the effects of a devastating drought that is now a bigger danger to survival than conflict. More than six million people have been pushed to the brink and hundreds of thousands have been forced to abandon their homes to live in sprawling makeshift camps near cities in a desperate bid to feed their families, according to the UN. When people who are already living on the edge of survival get hit with these kinds of setbacks, existing problems get worse, particularly for children. Health deteriorates as chronic malnutrition becomes severe, threatening lives. The risk of violence and exploitation rises quickly. Our teams have reported that rates of child marriage have doubled in some areas as more families, struggling with deep and extreme poverty, exchange their young daughters for a bride price. I met girls as young as 11 who were about to be forced into marriage, a fundamental violation of the law, their rights and their dignity. It can feel like a hopeless situation. But it is not. I met two-year-old Mirwais in a camp for internally displaced people who had fled the drought. Severely malnourished, Mirwais was prescribed emergency nutrition by a mobile health team and now he, and thousands of others like him, are on the road to recovery thanks to Canadian generosity. I also met Bahara, a 13-year-old girl who was going to be forced into marriage. A women-led community group was formed in her neighbourhood to promote education and end child marriage. Thanks to this group, Bahara learned about her rights and felt empowered to speak up. The marriage was stopped, and she is eager to study to become an engineer. Ending global extreme poverty Afghanistan is a case study for a global trend. Extreme poverty is becoming more concentrated. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, within the next 10 years, more than 80 per cent of the world’s poorest will live in the most dangerous places affected by conflict and disaster, if we don't act quickly. In countries like Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, political and social institutions have become fractured and governments are unable or unwilling to consistently provide basic services to ensure the health, education, food security, and protection of children from harm. Working in highly unstable places is extremely hard and setbacks are common. Longer term, more flexible approaches to development allow us to shift resources as circumstances change, to toggle our focus between people and communities surviving, thriving, and adapting to their current reality. This is the antidote to the chaos of conflict. Indeed, the proof is in the results. In Afghanistan, Canadians rarely hear about improving quality-of-life indicators, including successes in women’s empowerment and girls finishing their education, enabling them to become agents of change in their communities. Or the ongoing impact of Canadian projects that offer hope that maternal death and malnutrition can continue to be a rarity in communities after the aid has ended. We need to remain dedicated to working in Afghanistan and other dangerous places because we know meaningful change for the world’s most vulnerable people is possible over the long term, if we take the right approach. International assistance in these places, particularly investments in health and education, is the path towards creating more stable and peaceful societies. In this election year, World Vision is urging all federal parties to build on these results by including clear and specific commitments to international development, with a focus on girls’ and boys’ right to be safe, educated, healthy, and empowered, especially in the world’s most difficult places like Afghanistan. Michael Messenger is the CEO of World Vision Canada. The Hill Times