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Taking the Long View: The Consequences of Displacement for Children in Afghanistan

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Children and Forced Migration

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Abstract

This chapter investigates the long-term consequences of displacement in Afghanistan, by inquiring how younger generations within displaced households may fare in their particular circumstances. More specifically, it compares differences between displaced and nondisplaced households in outcomes arguably crucial for healthy human capital formation of children—namely, education and nutrition. Empirical analysis finds solid evidence that displacement leads to greater food insecurity and lower dietary diversity, and it indicates that displacement may have a negative effect on school attendance. The overall conclusion that internally displaced households are a particularly vulnerable subgroup within Afghanistan’s population is not an unexpected revelation. What is salient, however, is the extent to which children of displaced households may be particularly afflicted, and the consequences that this may have for future development.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The household survey was originally collected to evaluate UNHCR’s shelter assistance program implemented across Afghanistan. For more information, see the full report (MGSoG and Samuel Hall Consulting 2013).

  2. 2.

    Return migrants are excluded from the sample in order to minimize any potential selection bias.

  3. 3.

    Any displacement in general can be considered involuntary. However, restricting the sample to those who moved because of these four reasons helps strengthen the argument that displacement in this case is influenced by exogenous factors, leaving less potential for selection bias. The other reasons for displacement include: no land or housing, no access to arable or pastoral land, no access to food and water, no access to health services, no access to education, and no access to employment opportunities.

  4. 4.

    The category “only girls attend school” is excluded because of the low number of observations. Moreover, households where no school-age children are present are not included in the analysis.

  5. 5.

    Keep in mind, when reporting “relative risk ratios,” a result greater than one indicates a positive relationship while a result less than one indicates a negative relationship.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Craig Loschmann

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  1. Craig Loschmann
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Marisa O. Ensor

  2. Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Elżbieta M. Goździak

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Loschmann, C. (2016). Taking the Long View: The Consequences of Displacement for Children in Afghanistan. In: Ensor, M., Goździak, E. (eds) Children and Forced Migration. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40691-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40691-6_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-40690-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-40691-6

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