Armed conflict, education access, and community resilience: Evidence from the Afghanistan NRVA Survey 2005 and 2007

This study estimates the magnitude of conflict spillover effects on primary education access and identifies specific activities pertaining to community resilience that mitigate negative effects of the conflict. A difference-in-differences approach was applied using large-scale individual-level repeated cross-sectional data and geographic information system coordinates of conflicts collected in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2007. The study finds a significant reduction in the increase in education access as conflict spillover effects increased, especially among girls, while community members’ autonomous financial contribution to education can mitigate this reduction. The findings contribute to formulation of better educational policies in conflict-affected countries.