One million Afghan children face severe malnutrition, death: UNICEF

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 10 (APP):The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for providing immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, warning that at least one million children could face severe malnutrition and even death in the war-torn country this year.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi, who visited Afghanistan this week, warned that unless immediate assistance is provided “at least one million Afghan children face severe malnutrition and even death”.

“Severe outbreaks of measles and acute watery diarrhoea have further exacerbated the situation, putting more children at risk,” he added.
During a visit to a children’s hospital in Kabul, the top UNICEF official met with dozens of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening illness.

Abdi also met with officials from the Taliban’s interim government, where he highlighted the need for children’s access to basic health care, immunization, nutrition, water and sanitation, and child protection services.

He further called for polio, measles and COVID immunization campaigns to resume immediately, emphasizing the need to help protect children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to UNICEF, Abdi also met with partners at a COVID-19 and polio call center to promote vaccination.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Abdi stressed the critical importance of ensuring all boys and girls are allowed to continue their education at all levels, saying they should “participate meaningfully in building the future of their country.”

“UNICEF will continue to press for the rights of every girl, boy and woman in Afghanistan,” Abdi said, adding “Our objective is to see an Afghanistan where every girl and every boy are in school, have quality health care, and are protected from all forms of violence.”

The UNICEF warning comes as UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has already alerted about a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan if much-needed aid to the country is delayed, urging international donors to honour their financial pledges immediately.

Even before the Taliban’s takeover of the country, over 18 million Afghans required urgent humanitarian assistance. The persisting conflict and violence also internally displaced more than 3.5 million people, including some 630,000 uprooted during 2021.