Statement by the UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan

Kabul, 2nd. December 2025

“More than three months after the first of a series of devastating earthquakes struck Afghanistan, children in the northern and eastern regions remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. I am deeply concerned for the health and safety of children whose homes were damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands of families displaced just as winter takes hold.

Nighttime temperatures are already falling below freezing and can plunge to minus twenty-five degrees Celsius. Across the affected areas, an estimated 270,000 children are at severe risk of life-threatening diseases related to the cold. These are not abstract figures; they are girls and boys with a name, loved by their families and cherished by their communities.

Yesterday, UNICEF colleagues visited Zeri Baba, one of twelve displacement sites, and what they witnessed was heartbreaking. Over the weekend alone, four young children died in their tents from pneumonia and exposure to the cold: Taqwa, a three-year-old girl, and Usmani, a nine-month-old boy from Shulat Valley; and Zakira, two and a half years old, and Abdullah, an eight-month-old boy from Mama Gul. Their parents are devastated, and so are we, as these deaths are preventable.

UNICEF stands with these families, and we are committed to supporting them with the assistance they need to stay warm, safe, and resilient. This includes warm winter clothing for children, emergency cash for heating, and continued access to health, water, nutrition, education, and protection services.

We call on partners and donors to act now so we can deliver lifesaving winter assistance to keep children warm and safe.”