About 14 pc of Afghan Population Suffer Disabilities: AIHRC

13.9 percent of the total population of Afghanistan (4,475,800) have been identified as people with disabilities, says AIHRC, adding that war and roadside mines have been identified as the leading causes of disability.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) released its report “on the human rights status of people with disabilities in Afghanistan 2020”, saying that about 14 percent of the total population of the country has been identified as people with disabilities.
“In 1384 (2005), this figure reached 2.7% of the total population of the country; thus, in 14 years, the number of people with disabilities has increased by 11.2%,” said the report.

According to the report, 69.3 percent of the respondents have had physical disabilities such as limb deficiency and 19.5 percent had physical sensory disabilities. biological and metabolic disability and mentally and psychologically impaired are among other disabilities.
The report found war and roadside mines as the leading causes of disability. arbitrary use of drugs, traffic incidents, non-observance of safety measures at living and working places, not receiving the vaccination, and shortage in maternal healthcare during pregnancy are the other causes of disability.

AIHRC called for the meaningful participation of people with disabilities in the peace process, saying that an end to war and establishing a ceasefire are vital to prevent the escalation of disabilities in the country.
The statistical data for this study (156 cases), were obtained from the Commission’s database, while the rest were gained through field studies, in which, 1504 people with disabilities participated from 22 provinces of Afghanistan.