The United Nations estimates the number of disabled people in Afghanistan at 800,000. That's over 1 in 20 Afghans. Some have suffered permanent injuries as a result of the 20 years of war. No one knows how many die in the minefields or on their way to clinics. Many children have also become disabled for the rest of their lives because of preventable diseases such as polio.
Disability is a rights issue.
You can only start to tackle these things if you deal with people's attitudes. They have been regarded as a source of shame. But Afghan society is beginning to change its attitudes, if only because so many people have become disabled or lost limbs over the past two decades of war. We find people are very willing to help marginalized Click to hear the Radio Netherlands report on disability in Afghanistan. The CDAP assists about 20,000 disabled people a year.