Kabul, Dec 7 : The Unicef on Tuesday launched the largest-ever single-nation appeal for $2 billion to respond to the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.
“Unicef launched its largest-ever single-country appeal today to urgently respond to the humanitarian needs of over 24 million people in Afghanistan, half of whom are children,” the UN agency said in a statement.
The agency added that its appeal will help to avert the imminent collapse of health, nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), education and other vital social services for children and families, reports Xinhua news agency.
Since the August 15 takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and the formation of the Taliban-led caretaker government on September 7, the country’s humanitarian situation has worsened.
The statement said that “the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, there are alarming disruptions in health and nutrition services, a disastrous food crisis, drought, outbreaks of measles, acute watery diarrhea, polio and other preventable diseases, as well as the crippling onset of winter”.
Alice Akunga, Uniced Afghanistan Representative, was quoted in the statement as saying that the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire especially for children.
Winter has already set-in, and the agency and its partner will not be able to reach the children or families that are in immediate need.She said .
” As families struggle to provide nutritious food for their families and the health system is further stretched, millions of Afghan children are at high risk of starvation.Others are unable to access water or sanitation, are cut off from schools and are at greater risk of violence.
Unicef is doing all it can to protect and save children as the need for help grows.Akunga added.
The Unicef estimates that one in two Afghan children under five will be acutely malnourished in 2022 due to the food crisis and poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, according to the statement.
“Unicef is strongly urging donors to support Afghanistan’s children through its humanitarian appeal,” added Akunga.
UN agencies, aid group and a number of non-governmental organisations are racing against the time to deliver life-saving aid and supplies to crisis-hit Afghans ahead of winter.
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