Afghan children at risk

Dear Editor, Right now at UNICEF Ireland, we are desperately concerned about the children of Afghanistan. Even before the recent escalation in conflict, Afghanistan was already one of the toughest places on earth to be a child. Now we are seeing estimates that 1 million children are at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition, unless they get urgent access to life-saving support.

UNICEF is warning that across the country, 10 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance to survive. Over the past year, the situation has become even more desperate. Conflict, drought, and Covid-19 have collided to create an unprecedented humanitarian emergency.

For us, now is not the time to abandon the children of Afghanistan. In the past few weeks, the war has entered a new, deadlier and more destructive phase. To compound this, winter is on the horizon and we know children are at most risk from harsh winter conditions.

For UNICEF, our absolute priority is to make sure we are there for children and I know our teams are determined to stay and deliver. We have 13 offices across Afghanistan and we are scaling up our lifesaving programmes for children and women – including through the delivery of health, nutrition and safe water to displaced families.

Immediate action is needed to protect the estimated 1 million children, who are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition over the course of this year and could die. It is anticipated that the humanitarian needs of children and women will only increase over the coming months, and I hope people in my home county of Cork can support UNICEF’s work at this vital time.

We are always incredibly inspired by how people in Ireland respond when children and families experience a crisis like this. I think everyone has been moved by the scenes we have recently witnessed from Afghanistan, and for me as a Cork native, it is especially moving when you see donations come in from people in your home county. My work here in Ireland is to raise awareness of children’s rights and help people understand the difference they can make to children’s lives.

I know our teams on the ground are incredibly thankful for every contribution, and we hope people in Ireland will continue to support our urgent life-saving work. More information on UNICEF’s emergency Afghanistan appeal can be found at www. unicef.ie

Lydia McCarthy, UNICEF Ireland.