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300,000 Afghan children face illness, even death, in freezing conditions
More than 300,000 Afghan children face freezing winter conditions that could lead to illness, in the worst cases death, without proper winter clothing and heating, Save the Children warned this week.
The organization’s country director in Afghanistan, Chris Nyamandi, said in a statement on Thursday that while schools are closed until March in the coldest parts of the country, this is a serious blow because often the classroom is the only source of warmth for children during winter – where temperatures can plummet to below minus 27 degrees Celcius.
Concern has been raised following an early onset of harsh weather conditions – and heavy snowfalls.
“The early snow in the northern parts of Afghanistan where we work has impacted children particularly badly. The most vulnerable children are those whose schools have shut because of the worsening winter conditions.
“Their families don’t have the money to buy winter clothing. Instead children are forced to huddle at home to escape the bitter cold.
“It also means it is more difficult for us to reach these children to provide them with winter clothing. We must go from home to home to deliver thick coats and blankets,” Nyamandi said.
According to Save the Children, ongoing conflict has also destroyed many homes and forced thousands of children, along with their families, to shelter in camps for the homeless. There they risk hunger, disease, including COVD-19, even death from freezing temperatures.
“The situation is bleak for children forced to live in camps in places like Balkh province. It is already very cold in this northern province with overnight temperatures as low as minus ten. But it will get much colder before March,” said Nyamandi.
“Here, and in camps in other parts of Afghanistan, plastic sheeting and the clothes they wear are often all that separates them from the freezing temperatures.
“For thousands of children the Afghan winter is a time of grim survival,” he added.
In light of this, Save the Children plan to provide winter kits to more than 100,000 families in 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
These winter kits include fuel and a heater, blankets and winter clothes for children including coats, socks, shoes, hats and Vaseline.
Shelter repair kits will also be provided to for people made homeless by the fighting and in some cases, 12 weeks rent for families at risk of homelessness
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UN praises resilience of Afghans, raises concerns over restrictions on women and girls
The UN’s renewed commitment comes as millions of people across Afghanistan continue to depend on humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations has praised the resilience of the Afghan people in the face of decades of conflict, poverty, displacement and climate change, while expressing concern over restrictions imposed on women and girls.
In a statement issued Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the UN’s founding, the organization said Afghans continue to face widespread humanitarian and economic challenges, while people returning to the country are also confronting numerous difficulties.
The UN said it remains committed to supporting Afghanistan through humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education, human rights protection, economic opportunities and disaster preparedness.
The statement emphasized that Afghanistan’s future belongs to its people and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to helping Afghans address ongoing humanitarian and economic challenges.
United Nations Day is observed annually on October 24, marking the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.
The UN’s renewed commitment comes as millions of people across Afghanistan continue to depend on humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has previously said that human rights are now better protected than ever in the country under Islamic Sharia.
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IEA rejects Pakistan’s allegations linking Afghanistan to insecurity
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has strongly rejected the repeated allegations by Pakistani officials that Afghanistan is involved in insecurity in Pakistan, saying that creating or supporting insecurity in Pakistan is not in Afghanistan’s interests.
In a statement published on his account, Fitrat said that whenever Pakistani officials are unable to ensure security in their own country, they blame Afghanistan for incidents in an attempt to mislead public opinion.
According to Fitrat, Afghanistan neither has the necessary means to create insecurity in other countries nor would it benefit from such actions, as insecurity in Pakistan also harms Afghanistan economically, socially and in humanitarian terms.
The deputy spokesperson added that instead of focusing on their own security responsibilities, Pakistani officials wrongly blame Afghanistan and spend resources on plans aimed at destabilizing the country.
Fitrat described this approach as a way of evading core responsibilities, destabilizing the region and wasting economic resources. He further said that this misguided stance has distracted Pakistan’s security forces from their primary duties.
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Khalilzad warns of worsening relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, has warned that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan could deteriorate further amid reports of alleged Pakistani recruitment and arming of Afghans.
In a statement, Khalilzad said there had been numerous reports alleging that Pakistan was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. He added that new reports suggested the Pakistani military was recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.
He cautioned that, given the current situation, ties between Kabul and Islamabad were likely to worsen significantly.
Khalilzad’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions between the two neighboring countries.
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