10 million Afghanistan children in need of humanitarian aid post Taliban siege: UNICEF

Despite the fast-changing political circumstances in Afghanistan, UNICEF said that over 10 million children have been estimated to require humanitarian support to live. As per ANI, on Monday, the UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore said in a statement, "Today, around 10 million children across Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance to survive. An estimated 1 million children are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition over the course of this year and could die without treatment." 

More information about UNICEF on the Afghan Children 

As per the report by UNICEF, over 4.2 million youngsters which included more than 2.2 million females are out of school. Almost 2,000 severe abuses of children's rights have been reported by the UN in January. According to the statement, about 435,000 children and women are internally displaced. 

Fore further pointing to the numbers, said, that this is really the bleak reality that Afghan children face, and it will continue to be so irrespective of continuing political events and government changes. The UN agency further predicts that children and women's humanitarian help will be required more in the upcoming months due to the serious drought situation which will lead to water scarcity, as well as the catastrophic socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak and the arrival of the winter season. 

As per ANI, “That is why, after 65 years in Afghanistan striving to improve the lives of children and women, UNICEF will remain on the ground now and in the days to come. We are deeply committed to the country's children and there is far more work to be done on their behalf," Fore said. 

UNICEF supports the vital requirements

She even added that several millions of people will carry on to require vital supports like health, polio and measles vaccine campaigns, nourishment, security, housing, water, and sanitation. 

Executive Director also said UNICEF is currently ramping up its essential lifesaving schemes for children and women which consists of providing health services, nourishment, and water to refugee people. UNICEF also aims to extend these activities to places that were previously inaccessible due to security concerns, she added. 

Directing towards Taliban and other parties, Fore has asked to provide UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies to have safe, prompt, and unrestricted accessibility towards the children, whenever and wherever required. 

Meanwhile, the crisis in Afghanistan is worsening, as thousands of citizens hurried to flee from the country after the Taliban took power over the last week. Already many nations have rushed to evacuate their nationals from the military conflict region. Due to the region's insecurity, the Kabul airport is now in a state of turmoil. 

(Image Credit: AP)