Handicap International experience in Afghanistan - CBM

SECTIONLivelihoods and AssetsPoverty, Vulnerability and Disability6When we travel through Afghanistan, a general observation that can be made is the difficulty of ensuringmeans of livelihood, for a great majority of the population. The present overview of livelihood is onlygiving a few insights into poverty and vulnerability issues. Definitions of vulnerability and poverty vary widelyand as a consequence, ways of fighting them are multiple.Studying livelihoods of the Afghan population leads to taking into consideration monetary poverty. Absolutemonetary poverty can be defined as the insufficiency of income to get the daily food ratio. Poverty, in termsof livelihood, is the paucity of adequate nutrition, lack of clothes, of accommodation, etc. The most commonand traditional way of defining poverty is in terms of monetary income poverty.However, recently the focus has also turned to poverty of potentiality, which is the lack of education,equipment, social networks and support systems. The means chosen to measure poverty, on which expertscontinue to debate, is as essential as the multiple meanings this word encompasses. Currently, economicpolicy choices, and the efficiency of these, depend on the accuracy and reliability of the tools used to collectrelevant information. If focus remains limited to monetary poverty, this indicator has varied greatly andglobally poverty measured by income has increased during the last 25 years in Afghanistan. If we look at thepoverty of resources and of choices available in the larger sense, the country is characterised by a shortage ofbasic social services: shelter, water supply and sanitation, education, health, etc.However, over the last decade, a more comprehensive view has emerged, mostly pushed forward by theHuman Development Reports and the theories of Amartya Sen 37 to look at poverty in terms of capabilities.Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach shifts the focus from what a person actually does (functionings) to takeinto consideration the range of possibilities that he/she chooses that specific functioning from – this is thecapability set. Taking the view of the individual also brings into light the interaction between the person, withhis/her limitations in functioning (which may or may not be permanent) and the context, which consists ofa number of resources as well as expectations, stereotypes, and often, prejudice and discrimination. As aresult, looking at poverty of capability makes us look at not just what the person does but whathis/her choices are. These choices are influenced by the social and human resources, especially intraditional cultural contexts. In these contexts disability consists in deprivation of capabilities thatoccurs when a person with impairment is deprived of possibilities, choices and opportunities.If we look atthe povertyof resourcesand of choicesavailable in thelarger sense,the country ischaracterisedby a shortageof basic socialservices: shelter,water supplyand sanitation,education,health, etc.Because of this lack of capabilities, disability can lead to poverty as it creates constraints on the ability to workand the earning capacity. In Afghanistan, where 71.6% inhabitants live in rural areas, livelihood is basedlargely on agricultural activities. Having a disabled member increases costs of the household such as medicalexpenses. It might also prevent the caretakers from working or contributing to the earnings of the family.In addition, poverty can lead to disability. Poor households do not have enough resources to satisfy theirbasic needs. Because they lack adequate food, basic sanitation, good housing or access to health, particularlypreventive health services, poor households are more at risk of disabling diseases.37SEN A. (2000), Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford