Afghanistan has always been one of the hardest places in the world to be a child but a triple crisis - conflict, drought and COVID-19 - is making life incredibly difficult for families. Before the fighting worsened, 1 in 3 girls were married before their 18th birthday and 1.3 million children under 5 needed treatment for acute malnutrition.

But in the past few weeks, UNICEF has become increasingly concerned about the rise in grave violations to child and human rights. Reports are growing of children being recruited by armed groups.

• More than 390,000 people have fled their homes; over half are children.

• Half of the population – including nearly 10 million children – need humanitarian assistance

• 3.7 million children are out of school.

Now, as the situation changes daily, families face an uncertain future with hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.

How UNICEF is helping in Afghanistan
Over 65 years in country we’ve nurtured community networks and built trust with everyone we need to get the job done. With 11 offices nationwide and a range of partners that support UNICEF in delivering life-saving supplies to the most disadvantaged, UNICEF remains committed to the women and children of Afghanistan.

Every child needs protection and peace now. Our teams are working to reach children and families across the country with life-saving assistance – but more help is urgently needed.

In the first six months of the year, we reached 1.7 million people with humanitarian assistance. UNICEF will remain on the ground supporting vulnerable children and their families – but we can’t do this without you.

How you can help children in Afghanistan
• With $80, you could help to provide 150 sachets of therapeutic food to help bring a child back from severe malnutrition

• With $160 you could help to provide two water and hygiene kits containing soap, gloves, masks, buckets, and water purification tablets

• With $230 you could help to supply a health centre with 894 polio vaccines

UNICEF is there before, during and after an emergency. When others leave, we stay.