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UN: Afghanistan Remains Most Dangerous Place for Children, Women
The United Nations reports humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan are deteriorating, warning children at great risk of dying at an early age from lack of health care and proper nutrition.
U.N. Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesman Jens Laerke says 9.3 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance this year. The world body has appealed for $550 million to support 5.6 million of the most vulnerable people.
“The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan today is deteriorating. We have a warning of another challenging year. We expect very high levels of conflicts and displacement and already this year, over 38,000 people have been newly displaced. In addition to that, we expect more returns of vulnerable families from Pakistan who will in fact not return to their home state but continue to be displaced inside Afghanistan. They return typically with very little, very few or assts at all and they really need our support,” said Jens Laerke.
Jens Laerke further added, “We are requesting for five hundred and fifty million US dollars, a little more than fifteen percent funded. With the top five donors are being United State, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and Australia”.
In the meantime, UNICEF reports thousands of Afghan women die every year from largely preventable pregnancy-related causes. In 2015, it says more than one in every 18 Afghan children died before their first birthday.
UNICEF spokesman, Christophe Boulierac, calls malnutrition a silent emergency. He says more than 41 percent of Afghan children under age five are stunted, one of the highest rates in the world.
“Stunting, as you know, is a sign of chronic under nutrition during the most critical periods of growth and development in early life,” said Boulierac. “Children who suffer from stunting are more likely to contract diseases, less likely to access basic health care, and do not perform well in school.”
Indeed, Boulierac notes Afghanistan’s education system has been devastated by more than three decades of conflict. He says 3.5 million children do not go to school. An estimated 75 percent of them are girls.
The Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan announced Thursday it will provide emergency relief to flood-hit people in northern Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the embassy, relief will be provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
This relief includes tents, blankets and other essential items.
According to the statement, “Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance to Afghanistan to support people affected by the flood. We will always stand by the people of Afghanistan.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has meanwhile reported that 8,975 homes were destroyed or damaged by floods in Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar provinces following heavy rains.
Russia also pledged help if needed, while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) appealed to Islamic countries and aid organizations to step in to help the flood victims.
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov held talks with India’s external affairs minister JP Singh to discuss the situation in the country.
Kabulov met with Singh during a visit to India.
In a post on X, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “India and Russia held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan today in New Delhi.
“Amb. Zamir Kabulov, Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, and JP Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and emphasized on the need to provide development assistance for the welfare of the Afghan people,” he said.
An official at the Russian embassy said Kabulov held talks with Singh under the framework of India-Russia foreign ministerial consultations on Afghanistan.
New Delhi has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team in its embassy in the Afghan capital.
The Islamic Emirate says that due to the diplomatic efforts of the IEA, a good spirit of cooperation has been formed in the region towards Afghanistan, and the countries have understood that stable security and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all countries.
Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, has invited political deputy prime minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir to participate in the upcoming Trans-Himalayan Forum meeting.
The Chinese envoy said at a meeting Wednesday with Kabir that Beijing supports the Islamic Emirate in terms of attending international meetings, especially UN Security Council meetings.
Zhao also said China was committed to cooperating with the Islamic Emirate.
Kabir in turn expressed his gratitude for China’s support and cooperation across numerous sectors and said that as a responsible government, the Islamic Emirate is bound by commitments made and tries to play an active role in regional issues and the stability and development of the region.
Kabir also acknowledged China’s support of the Islamic Emirate and said Beijing’s cooperation can bring about positive changes and economic growth in the country.
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