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Save the Children warns humanitarian crisis looming in Kabul
An estimated 72,000 children have been displaced and have fled to Kabul due to ongoing clashes across Afghanistan, said Save the Children Saturday.
The organization also warned of possible outbreaks of diseases as families camping out in open spaces have no toilet facilities.
The organization stated that these children and their family members need immediate humanitarian aid.
This comes as tens of thousands of people have fled to Kabul as the Taliban advanced across the country, capturing around 20 provincial capitals.
In the latest development, the militants seized control of Paktia’s Gardez city, Paktika’s Sharana city, and southern Kandahar city in the last 24 hours.
Save the Children said in a statement that many of the children are living on the streets, in tarpaulin tents, and are going hungry.
According to the organization, more than 324 families that have arrived in Kabul in the last few days had little or no access to food or other forms of support.
“Many families have taken desperate measures to survive, such as selling their belongings to get money for food, sending their children to work, or cutting back severely on food.
All of the families said they have run up debt to get to safety,” the statement read.
“This is a humanitarian disaster unfolding in front of the world’s eyes,” said Christopher Nyamandi, country director for Save the Children in Afghanistan.
“Families already living in Kabul have brought the food they could spare to help the displaced, but there’s just not enough. And more families are arriving every hour. We will start to see children going hungry or even sliding into malnutrition very soon,” Nyamandi added.
He stated: “People are drinking water from dirty containers, the circumstances are unhygienic. We’re one step away from a disease outbreak.”
“The people of Afghanistan not only need the world’s attention, they need the world’s help to get through this. These are families with children, old people. Our staff came across at least 13 pregnant women. We can’t turn our back on them. We need tents, food, clean water, sanitation. Immediately,” Nyamandi noted.
“The only real solution is an end to the fighting, and the warring parties coming to an agreement. But until that time, we need to support the children and their families who have been caught up in this terrible conflict,” he said.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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