Needs vs expediency: Poverty reduction and social development in post-conflict countries

Abstract

Conflict depletes all forms of human and social capital, as well as supporting institutions. The scale of the human damage can overwhelm public action, as there are many competing priorities and resources are often insufficient. What then should be the priorities for 'post-conflict' policy? Should it give, for example, higher priority to health or to livelihoods in allocating the resources available (financial, human, and institutional)? Should social protection be the main focus of effort and, if so, what form should it take? If trying to do everything amounts to doing nothing, then what should be the priorities over time, that guide the sequence of actions? This paper explores the issues-the opportunities but also the possible tensionsincluding those around the need to strengthen and sustain peace itself.

Early life shocks and mental health: The long-term effect of war in Vietnam

“…A more general policy implication could be to prioritize provision of healthcare in postconflict societies, not only to adults but also to children (Addison et al, 2016). While there are policies in place to assist war veterans with mental health problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), children who grow up during the war without participating are often overlooked from a policy perspective.…”

War and Schooling in South Sudan, 2013-2016

“…Numerous studies have found that political instability significantly reduces economic growth, as measured by the annual rate of change in gross domestic product (Abadie and Gardeazabal 2003;Alesina et al 1996;Lai and Thyne 2007;Shields and Paulson 2015). Addison et al (2015) found further that political violence threatens both human and social capital and weakens institutions. While examining changes in global education spending and enrollment over an 18year period (1980-1997), Lai and Thyne (2007) found that political instability reduces the amount of resources put into education and undermines a state's ability to perform its basic functions, such as providing services.…”

“…The resultant humanitarian situation was considered catastrophic, with millions of people displaced and nearly half the new nation's population facing a severe food shortage (IPC 2017). The destruction of physical capital in recent years thwarted the fundamental development process in South Sudan, with basic services gravely affected (Mayai and Hammond 2014;Addison et al 2015;Lai and Thyne 2007;Burde et al 2017). This included institutions in the education sector, which struggled to perform their duties as learning facilities, became homes for armed groups, were destroyed, or closed down.…”

“…We assess two hypotheses pertaining to the war in South Sudan and its human capital consequences. First, we expect enrollment to decline in schools directly exposed to the recent war, most of which suffered infrastructural damage, the flight of staff, and a drastic reduction in instructional activities (Mayai and Hammond 2014;Addison et al 2015;Lai and Thyne 2007;Burde et al 2017). Second, we expect the war's impact on school enrollment to be more pronounced for male than female children (Burde et al 2017;Kirk and Winthrop 2007;Lai and Thyne 2007).…”