Afghanistan Appeal

Children are experiencing the worst of Afghanistan's unparalleled and complex crisis. The political transition, such recurrent disasters as floods, landslides, droughts and earthquakes, the adverse impacts of climate change and increasing restrictions on women and girls have heightened protection risks and humanitarian needs at the household level. Humanitarian needs across all sectors have expanded since 2021 and reveal a lack of resilience among vulnerable communities and the consequences of diminished investment in meeting basic human needs.

Restrictive policies affecting women and girls profoundly impact Afghan society and its future. Continued bans on secondary and post-secondary education for girls, mahram requirements and prohibitions on women working in many sectors limit their participation in communities and their access to services, violating their fundamental human rights. These restrictions lead to social and economic isolation, mental distress and negative coping strategies. Moreover, the operating environment has become more restrictive, with decrees and laws obstructing timely service delivery and creating barriers for specific sectors, agencies and implementation modalities. These impediments are expected to escalate, further increasing humanitarian needs. A robust field presence and a strong capacity to negotiate at the local level couldn't be more important.

WASH needs remain alarming: 27 per cent of rural households rely on unimproved water sources, compared with 13 per cent of urban households, and 36 per cent of rural households use unimproved sanitation facilities, compared with 13 per cent in urban areas. Poor WASH conditions contribute to rising malnutrition, particularly among infants, young children and mothers, a situation exacerbated by diarrhoeal diseases, inadequate water and sanitation services and poor hygiene practices. By 2025, 823,942 children will require treatment for severe wasting. A fragile health-care system and unequal access to services, especially in rural areas, severely impacts vulnerable populations, with 91 per cent of households facing barriers to health services in 2024, compared with 77 per cent in 2023.

The education sector continues to experience escalating needs due to restrictive policies, resulting in a growing number of out-of-school children. This trend will persist as girls who complete grade 6 have no options to continue their education, effectively freezing their futures. The impact of policies on community-based education services, combined with economic stagnation, has led 11 per cent of households to deprioritize schooling due to economic challenges, up from 4 per cent in 2023. Protection risks are paramount, with 23 per cent of households reporting at least one protection incident in the past three months, up from 19 per cent in 2023. Additionally, 21 per cent of households cited community violence as a protection concern.

Increasing shocks (e.g., floods, landslides, epidemics and others) further compound vulnerabilities, with 95 per cent of households reporting experiencing at least one such shock, a rise from 87 per cent in 2022. Changing climate patterns and unpredictable rainfall have diminished communities' adaptive capacity. Without adequate investment in WASH infrastructure and rehabilitation, community resilience remains woefully inadequate, leaving millions dependent on humanitarian aid.

The multifaceted nature of the crises in Afghanistan highlights the urgent need to address humanitarian needs while investing in meeting basic human needs. UNICEF will continue to implement risk-informed programmes focused on saving lives and building resilience to prevent further deterioration. UNICEF will also to operate through a clear 'do no harm' lens and prioritize preparedness to mitigate against catastrophic outcomes. UNICEF’s access and engagement strategy will guide field offices in navigating access impediments to enable timely delivery for children. 

UNICEF will scale up life-saving interventions, including integrated nutrition services for early detection and treatment of severe wasting in children. To combat malnutrition and build resilience, UNICEF will leverage its multisectoral capabilities, integrating health, WASH and social and behaviour change programmes. UNICEF will promote climate-resilient technologies, expanding solarization and optimizing water systems to address acute water scarcity, reduce disease outbreaks and combat wasting. To increase access to essential health services for the most vulnerable children and families, UNICEF will maintain and expand support for maternal and reproductive health, disease prevention and management of communicable diseases. This includes procuring essential medical supplies, building the capacity of health-care workers and enhancing vaccination efforts.

In a complex and challenging landscape, UNICEF remains committed to the education of children through advocacy and negotiations with the de-facto authorities. Despite increasing vulnerabilities in the sector, UNICEF will prioritize the sustainability of community-based education services and continue to support primary education, ensuring that all children have access to quality schooling. UNICEF is dedicated to advocacy efforts for the reopening of secondary schools for girls. 23 UNICEF will also address urgent humanitarian needs of children, women and girls facing critical protection challenges. This includes providing mental health and psychosocial support, case management for unaccompanied and separated children and programmes targeting gender-based violence. By strengthening the social workforce, UNICEF aims to enhance care quality and resilience among these vulnerable groups. Efforts around protection of populations from sexual exploitation and abuse will ensure accessible reporting mechanisms and training for humanitarian staff on essential safeguarding protocols. 

In response to the increasing severity and frequency of sudden-onset disasters, UNICEF will strengthen preparedness actions and will meet critical needs through a cash-based Rapid Response Mechanism. To support vulnerable households during the harsh winter months, UNICEF will scale up multipurpose cash assistance programmes, ensuring that families can meet their basic needs and avoid harmful coping strategies. UNICEF will expand its social protection programme to the most vulnerable families to build their resilience to enable quick recovery, help people withstand shocks and stabilize their livelihoods. UNICEF’s cluster leadership and expansive field presence, with five zonal offices and eight outposts, provides the ultimate platform to implement effective, multisectoral, community-based and scalable programmes to support vulnerable populations.