Psychiatrist Helps Afghans Transition from War to Peace

In each of the many war-torn countries Dr. Daniel Creson has visited, the psychiatrist from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston has always been struck by the resilience of survivors, especially the children.

His recent trip to Afghanistan was no different. Despite severe drought and poverty, men scraped together what they could to sell at the market; when the rains came, women in burkas and high heels proudly maneuvered through the mud without splashing dirt onto their clothing.

Children, cold and hungry, stood barefoot in the snow, but they still smiled and clamored for attention when Dr. Creson and others on a humanitarian aid mission came to their village.

Dr. Creson, was one of the first consultants the Christian Children’s Fund dispatched in December to Afghanistan to help survivors of war, displacement and famine.

During his weeklong stay in Feyzabad, Dr. Creson helped establish a children’s safe haven, called a "Child Centered Space," near an internally displaced persons’ camp, where 120 families still reside. There, the Christian Children’s Fund, a humanitarian aid organization, is addressing educational, recreational and medical needs of the children.

"When I arrived, I immediately recognized the tremendous difficulty of life in that part of the world," Dr. Creson said.

Until very recently, the Taliban and its army had been just miles away from Feyzabad. For years there had been war which destroyed infrastructure and landscape. Men who died in battle left widows who didn’t have the means to support their children. As a result, Dr. Creson said, it isn’t uncommon for a mother and her children to live in the same orphanage.

"It’s terribly poor," he said. "People clearly are hungry. There is no employment. Children are begging."

The recent war and fighting in Afghanistan has only worsened the crisis, and the status of children is grim. In addition to the estimated 300,000 Afghani children who die each year, the Christian Children’s Fund projects there could be another 100,000 deaths without immediate assistance. The greatest threats are malnutrition, diarrhea, measles and pneumonia.

To meet the children’s needs, the Christian Children’s Fund is planning to establish more Child Centered Spaces throughout Afghanistan, and Dr. Creson said if he is called upon, he will assist in that mission.

In Feyzabad, and in other parts of Afghanistan, it is now a rare time of peace. But all around, there are still signs of hardship. And in a town that has only ruts for roads, Dr. Creson said it will be a long, bumpy journey toward recovery and a state of normalcy.

"We are trying to help them make that transition from wartime to peacetime," Dr. Creson said.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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