AFGHAN CHILDREN NEED URGENT ASSISTANCE

Two years since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul, international organisation World Vision is declaring a new Sustained Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan.

World Vision Ireland CEO, Gillian Barnett says:

“International support for Afghans in the greatest need has fallen off a cliff, but we are committed to stay and deliver for Afghanistan’s children. Many are literally starving: they must have our support to fulfil their most basic needs and secure their most fundamental right: to life itself”.

World Vision Afghanistan National Director Asuntha Charles says:

“While the international focus has been on egregious human rights violations, particularly affecting women and girls, the number of those in need of humanitarian assistance has increased from 24.4 to 29.2 million people. Millions of Afghans will face ‘crisis’ levels of food insecurity this year. This is the result of decades of conflict, the proliferating impacts of climate change, and a highly dysfunctional economy following international disengagement. Meanwhile, international support for Afghanistan has plummeted”

Gillian Barnett added: “The Taliban authorities have increasingly constrained the work of organisations, but even if their edicts were reversed today, the resources provided by the international community fall desperately short of what is needed. Nevertheless, in the first half of this year alone, World Vision Afghanistan reached 1,160,914 of the most at-risk Afghans in western Afghanistan, including 557,160 children. Their work included health and nutrition provision, support for WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), protection of vulnerable children and adults, and educational support.”

Notes:

World Vision, the world’s largest child-focused development organisation, is active in 100 countries. World Vision began emergency relief operations in Afghanistan in 2001, addressing humanitarian needs of children and their families affected by conflict and natural disaster. Over 22 years later, World Vision Afghanistan continues to partner with communities to provide humanitarian response alongside early recovery, resilience, and development initiatives in the western provinces of Herat, Ghor, Badghis and Faryab. World Vision Afghanistan programming prioritizes maternal and child health, nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), livelihood and food security, education, child protection and multi-purpose cash programming. World Vision works in collaboration with communities holistically to respond, comprehensively meet basic needs, and promote recovery, resilience and community development.