Unicef's Lifeline: Delivering Hope And Aid To Afghanistan's Children

Afghanistan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. Decades of conflict have left Afghans grappling with economic collapse, climate disasters, and human rights violations. UNICEF has been working in Afghanistan for over 70 years and is committed to staying in the country to provide support. The organization aims to meet the basic humanitarian needs of 19.4 million people in Afghanistan, especially children. UNICEF has been providing life-saving health and nutrition support, preventing the collapse of the health system, and ensuring access to water, sanitation, and education. They are also advocating for girls' education and protecting children's rights.

UNICEF is providing health and nutrition support to prevent the collapse of the health system and treat children at risk of malnutrition

Afghanistan is facing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. Decades of conflict have left Afghans grappling with economic collapse, climate disasters, and human rights violations. The situation has led to a public health crisis, with millions of families struggling to access healthcare and nutrition for their children. UNICEF has been working in Afghanistan for over 70 years and is committed to preventing the collapse of the health system and treating children at risk of malnutrition.

To prevent the collapse of the health system, UNICEF has provided salaries and critical supplies for tens of thousands of health workers, while ensuring that health facilities have power. UNICEF is also providing nearly all nutrition supplies for Afghanistan, including multivitamin supplements, nutrition counselling, and monitoring services. In 2023, UNICEF helped almost half of Afghanistan's population receive life-saving health and nutrition support.

UNICEF is also working to keep water running in Afghanistan. As the lead provider of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across the country, UNICEF brings solar-powered water pumps to villages, schools, and health clinics, reaching communities affected by drought and other disasters.

UNICEF is committed to ensuring that children have access to essential health and nutrition services. They support the government in providing intensive information campaigns and nutrition services, including mobile health and nutrition teams that bring urgent medical care directly to vulnerable families and children in hard-to-reach areas.

UNICEF's response to the health and nutrition crisis in Afghanistan includes:

• Treating children with severe acute malnutrition: UNICEF provides ready-to-use therapeutic food to nourish starving children and supports the government in treating acute malnutrition through intensive information campaigns and mobile health and nutrition teams that bring urgent medical care directly to vulnerable families and children in hard-to-reach areas.
• Vaccinating children against measles: UNICEF has vaccinated millions of children against measles and supported nationwide polio campaigns, reaching over 8 million children, including those in previously inaccessible areas.
• Providing safe water: UNICEF provides safe water to millions of people through water trucking to the most vulnerable communities and the construction and rehabilitation of solar-powered water supply systems.
• Ensuring access to education: UNICEF works to keep children in school by providing education supplies and supporting teachers' salaries. They also support public schools to make classrooms safe and conducive places for learning.
• Expanding humanitarian cash transfers: UNICEF uses humanitarian cash transfers to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable families and children.

UNICEF is paying salaries and providing supplies for health workers

UNICEF is working to prevent the collapse of Afghanistan's health system. One of the ways it is doing this is by paying the salaries of health workers and providing them with critical supplies. UNICEF has paid the salaries of and provided supplies for tens of thousands of health workers, while also keeping the power on in health facilities.

UNICEF is now the lead provider of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across Afghanistan. UNICEF brings solar-powered water pumps to villages, schools, and health clinics, reaching communities stricken by drought and other disasters.

UNICEF's work in this area is part of a broader effort to meet the humanitarian and basic needs of 19.4 million people in Afghanistan, including by providing humanitarian cash transfers, ensuring access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and providing gender and adolescent services.

UNICEF has been on the ground in Afghanistan for over 70 years and has offices nationwide. In 2023, UNICEF helped almost half of Afghanistan's population receive life-saving health and nutrition support.

UNICEF is providing water, sanitation and hygiene services

UNICEF is the lead provider of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services across Afghanistan. They bring solar-powered water pumps to villages, schools and health clinics, reaching communities stricken by drought and other disasters.

In 2021, UNICEF estimated that 1 in 2 children under five would be acutely malnourished in 2022 due to the food crisis and poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene services. They also estimated that 8 out of 10 Afghans drink bacteriologically contaminated water.

UNICEF's response to the crisis includes providing safe water to 11.5 million people. They bring water trucking to the most in-need communities. UNICEF also provides water pumps to villages, ensuring communities have access to safe drinking water.

UNICEF's work in Afghanistan also includes preventing the collapse of the health system. They have paid the salaries of tens of thousands of health workers and provided critical supplies, while also keeping the power on in health facilities.

UNICEF is committed to ensuring continuity of essential services and safeguarding hard-won gains, including protecting the rights of women and girls.

UNICEF is advocating for girls' education and supporting public schools

Afghanistan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. Decades of conflict have left Afghans grappling with economic collapse, climate disasters, and human rights violations. UNICEF has been working in Afghanistan for over 70 years and remains committed to staying and providing support.

UNICEF is dedicated to advocating for girls' education and supporting public schools in Afghanistan. The organisation recognises that education is a fundamental right for every child and is essential for future growth in the country. Here are some ways in which UNICEF is working towards these goals:

• Community-Based Education Programme: UNICEF has established community-based classrooms to provide children in rural, remote, and economically disadvantaged areas with access to quality education at no cost. These classrooms serve every child, regardless of gender, and ensure that women teachers remain in the classroom.
• Supporting Public Schools: UNICEF is committed to supporting public schools to create safe and conducive learning environments for both girls and boys. They are working to address issues such as a lack of proper sanitation facilities, which can hinder attendance, especially for girls.
• Improving Quality of Education: UNICEF collaborates with the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education and build better education systems. They assist in developing a National Assessment Framework linked to a national qualification framework.
• Improving Institutional Capacity: UNICEF advocates at the highest levels of government and provides continuous technical and financial support to the Ministry of Education to enhance management practices and coordination. They support the development and implementation of policies, strategies, and programmes focusing on out-of-school children, girls' education, and early childhood development.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response: UNICEF ensures that children can continue their education during disasters and conflicts. They co-lead the Education in Emergencies Working Group, which assists the Ministry of Education in disaster response. UNICEF also promotes social cohesion and a culture of peace in local communities affected by fear and violence.
• Cash Transfers for Education: UNICEF provides cash support to vulnerable families to meet their basic needs and enable children to continue their education.
• Teacher Support: UNICEF provides emergency cash support to public school teachers to recognise their crucial role in educating children. They also train teachers, with a particular focus on female educators.
• Distribution of Teaching and Learning Materials: UNICEF distributes essential teaching and learning resources to schools to enhance the educational experience.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: UNICEF conducts robust monitoring processes to ensure the effective implementation of their initiatives. This includes verifying the identity and attendance of public school teachers and creating agile payment strategies.
• Advocacy for Girls' Education: UNICEF actively advocates for girls' right to education at all levels. They raise awareness about the importance of education among parents and communities, encouraging them to send their daughters to school.

UNICEF's efforts in Afghanistan are focused on ensuring that all children, regardless of gender, have access to quality education. By supporting public schools and advocating for girls' education, they are helping to create a brighter future for the country's youth.

UNICEF is providing child protection services

UNICEF has scaled up its life-saving programmes and is preventing the collapse of the health system by treating children at risk of malnutrition. They have paid salaries and provided critical supplies for tens of thousands of health workers, while also keeping the power on in health facilities. UNICEF is providing nearly all nutrition supplies for Afghanistan, ensuring communities receive multivitamin supplements, nutrition counselling, and monitoring services. In 2023, they helped almost half of Afghanistan's population receive life-saving health and nutrition support.

UNICEF is now the lead provider of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across Afghanistan. They bring solar-powered water pumps to villages, schools, and health clinics, reaching communities stricken by drought and other disasters.

UNICEF advocates for all girls to be in school and learning. Their community-based education programme serves every child, regardless of gender, and keeps women teachers in the classroom. They support public schools to make classrooms safe and conducive places for girls and boys to continue their education.

UNICEF provides a first line of response for girls and boys in harm's way, meeting children where they are by bringing child protection services to health clinics, classrooms, and border crossings. They work in some of the hardest-to-reach areas to serve more children in Afghanistan than any other organization.

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