Children in Afghanistan now face a triple threat: violence, drought and a new COVID-19 surge.
UNICEF believes that if we are not able to take action immediately, nearly one million children under the age of five will be severely malnourished by end of this year.
"UNICEF is very, very concerned because what we are seeing is around 3.2 million children who are acutely malnourished and 1.1 million children who are at risk of dying because of severe, acute malnutrition unless we intervene with treatment."
"UNICEF is predicting that food stocks will run out halfway through winter."
"Severe, acute malnutrition means that you can potentially die if you are not treated. And that means that if we do not treat them, they will die."
"People in Afghanistan are dying, and they need our support. Humanitarian aid is the last expression of human solidarity"
Samanta Mort, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Civic Engagement at UNICEF Afghanistan, 18/11/2021
Afghanistan, Kandahar: Rahmanullah is 7 month old and weighs only two and a half kilos. He is from Lashkar Gah, Helmand province. His mother died giving birth to him and now his grandmother Marzia is the one taking care of him. Rahmanullah is hospitalized for malnutrition treatment at the Mirwais regional hospital in Kandahar city.
Now, with the country’s bitter winter months ahead, children face yet another risk to their health, wellbeing and safety.
Average monthly temperatures can fall as low as -12.1 degrees centigrade, but too many children lack adequate clothing to keep them warm and dry, and live in shelters that do not protect against the cold, wind and rain.
Your donation will help UNICEF provide warm clothes to keep children alive during the harsh winter.
*Each winter clothing kit includes warm winter coats and jumpers, trousers, boots, hats and socks for children, and warm jackets and shawls for women – all packed in a durable storage bag.
*Each family hygiene kit includes 7 bars of hand soap, 7 bars of laundry soap, soft multipurpose cloth, toothbrushes and toothpaste for children and adults, 5 towels, shampoo, sanitary pads, a strong collapsible 10-litre jerrycan for transporting water, a plastic bucket with a lid to store food or water & a 3-litre plastic jug.
‘’It is so difficult to live in this camp, it’s so cold!’’
Shahnaz, 10 years old lives in Noor Abad camp in Badghis.
‘’Due to cold, I could not sleep last night. Thanks to UNICEF Afghanistan for providing me with jumper, jacket and boots.”
Riaz Gul, 10, helps his siter Magul, 5 to collect winter aid supported by UNICEF Afghanistan in Zymati camp, Qala-e-Naw, Badghis.
Your donation can make a huge difference. Please help now!