UK gives UN £24m to support Afghan children, women

KABUL (Pajhwok): The British government has contributed an additional £24 million towards UNICEF’s $2 billion Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal for Afghanistan.

UNICEF said on Tuesday the funds would be used to deliver lifesaving nutrition, water and sanitation and child protection services to over 1.6 million people affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Of the affected individuals, UNICEF estimates around 1.3 million – 77 percent – are children.

In a statement, the UN Children Fund hoped the addition contribution from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office would enable it to improve the nutritional status of over 700,000 children, provide safe drinking water and improved hygiene awareness to more than 350,000 people.

The funds will help increase access to key protection services, including mental health and explosive ordnance risk education support, for over 500,000 individuals.

“A further 18,000 households with pregnant and lactating women will also benefit from humanitarian cash assistance intended to address their nutrition needs and provide an entry point for the provision of case management services to over 3,400 children.”

The UNICEF representative said Afghanistan remained one of the toughest places on earth to be a child. Afghan children’s rights were under attack; their childhoods were marred by deprivation, he added.

Dr. Mohamed Ayoya noted: “Compounding factors including drought, malnutrition, the spread of preventable disease, the detritus of war, a stagnating economy, and limited and fragile social basic services are exacerbating challenges for children and women.”

Dr. Ayoya thanked the United Kingdom for its continued partnership during this critical time. “These funds will allow us to continue addressing the immediate needs of the most vulnerable girls, boys and women across the country.”

pr/mud