Afghanistan

A deadly combination of displacement, soaring malnutrition rates, conflict and disaster has left more children in need of humanitarian assistance than at any time since the Second World War . As winter weather has brought freezing temperatures and damp conditions to some parts of the world, children have been left especially exposed and vulnerable…, Ukraine, Ukraine. A family stands in the snow outside temporary housing in Irpin, outside of Kyiv. A family stands in the snow outside temporary housing in Irpin, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. Months of escalating conflict have left millions of children in Ukraine vulnerable to biting winds and frigid temperatures. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen…, Pakistan, Pakistan. Children sit alongside floodwaters in Dadu District, Sindh Province. Children sit alongside floodwaters in Dadu District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. The rains that brought historic flooding to large swathes of Pakistan in 2022 may have ended, but the crisis for children has not. Millions of girls and boys remain in need of immediate,…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. Children play in a village in Chaghcharan District in Ghor Province in central Afghanistan. Children play in a village in Chaghcharan District in Ghor Province in central Afghanistan. Decades of conflict, combined with a deteriorating economic situation, drought, food insecurity, and recurring floods have left millions of Afghanistan’…, Syria, Syria. A baby smiles as she is held by her mother as the family waits to receive a winter kit, distributed by UNICEF, in northeast Syria. A baby smiles as she is held by her mother as the family waits to receive a winter kit, distributed by UNICEF, in northeast Syria. More than a decade of humanitarian crises and hostilities has left children in…, Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding, Flexible funding makes it possible for UNICEF to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable families when and where it is needed and in a timely and effective manner. In some places, this includes winterization cash top-ups provided at the start of winter for households to access essential winter items for children. Read more about flexible funding…

Afghanistan is home to one of the most crushing humanitarian crises in the world. After decades of conflict, Afghans have been cut off from the global community, left to grapple with economic collapse, climate disasters and human rights violations not of their own making. Every day, millions of children venture into the streets, fields and mines…, UNICEF on the ground, The challenges facing humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan are many. The reasons to persist are more. Millions of families struggle to receive the health care and nutrition their children need. With support from partners, UNICEF is preventing the collapse of the health system and treating children at risk of malnutrition. We’ve paid salaries…, Our impact, UNICEF works day in and day out, in some of the hardest-to-reach areas, to serve more children in Afghanistan than any other organization. But we can’t do it alone. With thanks to our donors and partners, we commit to making a difference together., Learn more about UNICEF in Afghanistan

Even before the recent turmoil, more than half of Afghanistan’s children were estimated to be living in poverty. Now, as winter sets in, a deadly combination of rising malnutrition, an unprecedented food crisis, drought and disruptions to vital health and nutrition centres is leaving more children vulnerable to illness and even more families at…

The hidden victims. The ultravulnerable. Millions of the world’s internally displaced children have lost access to their schools, health services, their homes and communities. In Afghanistan, these young lives, already defined by enormous vulnerability, are being upended once again by the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowded living quarters, limited to no…

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Hashmat* remembers his first night standing guard at a checkpoint for the local police force in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. He was only there for a few hours, but it felt like an eternity. “I was wide awake,” he says. “I was so scared I would hold my breath every time I heard rustling in the bushes…

Adolescent clubs in Iran are helping thousands of Afghan refugees

BADGHIS, Afghanistan – Safia and her children couldn’t sleep last night. The heavy snowfall meant they had to spend much of the night clearing the snow off their tent while trying to keep it dry inside. This tent, with its cold and wet floor, is their home, for now. Safia has been the head of her household for the past seven years, since her…

KABUL, Afghanistan, 13 September 2018 – After saying prayers for the fallen students, a small group of mourners descends a hill in the outskirts of Kabul, guided by the dim moonlight. One man remains behind to light candles on all of the graves, using his scarf to cover his face and a steady stream of tears. “Yours? A child? A sibling?” a fellow…

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, 5 June 2018 – “I started from zero, there was nothing and then the school became famous,” says Saif, the principal of Bibi Hawa School in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan. “I once heard the story of a father who wanted to desperately send his girl here and I cried just to hear that.” It’s easy to see why parents would want to…

I was afraid that I was sick or had a disease. I was afraid there was something wrong with me. Anonymous, Indonesia What happens when a girl gets her period depends largely on where she lives. For some, it is a day for celebration. But for girls who live in places where menstruation is taboo, it can be a agonizing introduction to adolescence.…, 1. Afghanistan: Breaking taboos, Two girls sit next to a woman holding a book, Afghanistan Two girls attend a menstrual hygiene management counselling session at a school in Herat, Afghanistan. No meat, no rice, no vegetables, no sour foods, no drinking cold water, no sitting on wet ground, and no washing. These are some of the common myths surrounding menstruation in Afghanistan…, 2. Bangladesh: Getting your period in a refugee camp, Girls in this refugee camp in Bangladesh are part of the Sanimart project. Through the project they have learned to make their own pads to use themselves and sell in the market. Getting a period in a crowded refugee camp is not easy for teenage girls and women. Menstruation supplies are hard to come by, as are safe and private toilets to wash…, 3. Ethiopia: School clubs dispel misconceptions, A girl smiles, Ethiopia "I asked myself 'What is happening?' I didn't know how to tell my family but my mom saw the blood stain on my dress and she was the one who explained it to me. At the moment though, I lacked so much confidence, I don't know why." – Kuri Tenkolu, 16, Sheno, Ethiopia More than half of adolescent girls in Ethiopia don’t…, 4. Ghana: Empowering girls through education, Students stand outside a school classroom, Ghana Millicent (left) stands with her friends outside of their classroom. “It happened one morning in early August. I was sitting in class trying to concentrate on a lesson.” says Millicent, 13. “Finally, it was time to go home. Only one problem, my chair felt damp. I got up really slowly and noticed it…, 5. Indonesia: Not just a girl’s issue, A boy reads a book about menstruation, Indonesia A student reads through the girls' side of the comic book, which was developed to teach both boys and girls about menstruation. Like in many other countries, menstruation is a taboo topic in Indonesia. Many girls do not learn about it from their mothers or teachers, and find out it on the day of…

15-year-old  Awal Khan experiences the dangers of illegal migration for children

How a health worker in Afghanistan is transforming a community.