Around 10 million children in Afghanistan require humanitarian aid post-Taliban siege: UNICEF

 "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," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H Fore said in a statement.

Despite the fast-changing political circumstances in Afghanistan after the Taliban gained control, UNICEF has said around 10 million children across Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance to survive.

"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," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H Fore said in a statement on Monday.

The executive director further added that as per estimations, an estimated 4.2 million children are out of school, including more than 2.2 million girls. Since January, the UN has documented over 2,000 grave violations of children's rights. Approximately 435,000 children and women are internally displaced, the statement said.

"This is the grim reality facing Afghan children and it remains so regardless of ongoing political developments and changes in government," Fore added.

As per ANI, the executive director said, “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.”

This comes as the UN agency anticipates that the humanitarian needs of children and women will increase over the coming months amidst severe drought and consequent water scarcity, the devastating socioeconomic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the onset of winter.

She said that millions will continue to need essential services, including health, lifesaving vaccination drives against polio and measles, nutrition, protection, shelter, water and sanitation.

As the Taliban has seized control over Kabul, the crisis in Afghanistan is worsening. Thousands of citizens flocked to the airport to flee from the clutches of the Taliban as many nations rushed to evacuate their nationals from the war-torn country.

(With inputs from agency)

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