Afghan government increases benefits for families of fallen security personnel

KABUL -- The Afghan government is pushing a new initiative to provide additional support to the families of Afghan security personnel killed in combat or in terrorist attacks, and to streamline the benefit process.

The initiative allocates an additional 100,000 AFN ($1,290) to the families of martyrs, in addition to the benefits they have been granted thus far.

"The processes to support the families of martyrs have been very simplified," said Fawad Aman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence. "In the past, this process was slow, but now it takes one or a maximum of two days."

The government distributes land, houses and apartments to the families of martyrs according to a list, he explained.

"In the past year, hundreds of individuals received land. Cash to build houses and apartments has been distributed as well," Aman said. "We even provide cash to families receiving land to construct a building."

"We pay money to the families of martyrs as well as to ... soldiers wounded in the defence of their homeland based on the severity of their injuries," he said. "If the wounded ones cannot be treated in the country, we send them abroad, mostly to Turkey and India, for treatment."

"The family of every martyred Afghan National Army member receives a cash payment [ekramia] equivalent to one year of his or her salary, and [the soldier] is promoted one rank following a suggestion made by the Ministry of Defence and approved by the president," said Rohullah Ahmadzai, another Defence Ministry spokesperson.

Regarding compensation for wounded personnel, he said, the payment depends on the severity of the injury, starting at 15,000 AFN ($190). Those injured more severely will receive 30,000 AFN ($390), while the gravely injured will be paid 50,000 AFN ($740).

Based on the new plan, the Ministry of Interior Affairs will distribute land to the families of soldiers who lost their lives defending the country, said Ahmad Zia Zia, the ministry's deputy spokesperson.

"To date, 15,892 families of martyrs have been introduced to the Independent Directorate of Local Governance to receive land in their provinces," he said.

"So far, 5,126 families of martyred Afghan National Police (ANP) have been provided with cash to build a house after receiving land," he said. "Apartments have also been distributed to the families of 83 martyrs in Kabul."

The government provides scholarship assistance to the children of martyrs, Zia said, adding, "Ninety-eight children of ANP martyrs have been sent abroad [to India] for education."

Taliban abandon fighters' families

Lawmakers and analysts welcomed the increased benefits and called the simplification of the process a positive step.

"I am very pleased to see that the government is paying attention to the families of martyred, wounded and disabled members of the armed forces," said Masuda Karukhi, a member of the Wolesi Jirga representing Herat province. "We are trying in the parliament to increase their salaries."

"These soldiers sacrifice their lives for a just cause, and the government supports their families," she said. "But unfortunately, some of our youth fight in the Taliban's ranks; once they are killed, their leaders do nothing for their families."

"We know that in some districts in Herat, instead of serving the public and looking after the families of their fighters, the Taliban regularly extort money under the guise of ushr," she said.

"They even [stole] a portion of the assistance provided by the government to the needy under the Dastarkhwan-e-Meli programme," Karukhi said.

Gen. (ret.) Muhammad Taher Yarghal, a former officer of the Interior Affairs Ministry and a Kabul-based military analyst, stated his appreciation for the government's initiative.

He expressed hope that incentives for the country's armed forces will increase.

Providing moral and financial support to the families of martyrs is a worthy cause for the government to take up, he said. The more the government supports them, the less pain the families will feel after their loss.

"Those fighting for the Taliban have no one to look after their families if they are killed, but if they were serving in their country's armed forces, they would benefit from the forces' incentives and facilities," he added.

Ahmad Behruz, a Kabul-based political analyst, applauded the government's increased attention to fallen and wounded soldiers and their children.

"Families of martyrs once had to go through a lot for days to receive benefits, but with the new procedure, things have improved greatly," he said. "This indicates that the government realised the challenges in this area and took action."

The Taliban, on the other hand, abandon the families of their dead, Behruz said.

"I know some families whose sons were affiliated with the Taliban," he said. "After the deaths of their sons, poverty forced them to move to Kabul and even beg on the streets. Taliban leaders and commanders use their fighters as a war machine and take no responsibility for their families once they are dead."