A Heartbreaking Toll: Child Deaths In Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been ravaged by war for over 20 years, and children have paid a heavy price. According to Save the Children, an aid organisation, nearly 33,000 children have been killed or maimed in the country since the start of the US-led war in 2001. This averages out to one child every five hours. The true number of child casualties is likely much higher, as these figures do not include children who have died from hunger, poverty, or disease. The war has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan's children, with nearly half of the population, including almost 10 million children, in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has also left children vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation, with reports of children being recruited by armed groups and schools being attacked.

Child casualties in the Afghanistan/Pakistan warzone since 2001

Since the start of the Afghanistan/Pakistan war in 2001, the conflict has claimed the lives of about 243,000 people, with more than 70,000 of those killed being civilians. The war has also left a devastating impact on the mental health of Afghans, with two-thirds of the population suffering from mental health problems.

The war in Afghanistan has resulted in a significant number of child casualties. Between 2005 and mid-2021, an estimated 32,945 children were killed or maimed, with the real number likely being much higher. In addition, the conflict has left millions of children vulnerable to exploitation, poor health, severe injury, and needless death. The use of child soldiers has also been prevalent in the war, with an estimated 8,000 child soldiers, police officers, and militiamen still active in 2004.

The war in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on the country's children, with an entire generation growing up amidst violence and insecurity. The conflict has disrupted education, resulting in millions of children missing out on schooling. Furthermore, the war has led to food insecurity, malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare, putting children's lives at risk. The use of explosive weapons and landmines has also posed a significant threat to children, with thousands falling victim to these deadly devices.

The Afghanistan/Pakistan war has resulted in a high number of child casualties, with an estimated 32,945 children killed or maimed between 2005 and mid-2021. The true number is likely much higher, and this does not account for children who have died from indirect causes such as hunger, poverty, and disease. The war has left millions of children vulnerable and at risk, highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on Afghanistan's youth.

Children killed in US-led airstrikes

The US war in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on children, with nearly 33,000 killed and maimed over 20 years, according to Save the Children. This averages out to one child casualty every five hours. The true number is likely much higher, as these figures do not include children who died due to indirect causes such as hunger, poverty, and disease.

US-led airstrikes have been a significant contributor to child casualties in Afghanistan. Between 2016 and 2020, there were 1,598 child casualties from airstrikes, with 785 children killed and 813 injured. In 2018, 236 minors were killed by airstrikes, with another 256 injured, marking the deadliest year for children in Afghanistan. US-led international forces were responsible for the majority of these casualties, at 57%.

The increase in child casualties from airstrikes is partly due to the US military's decision in 2017 to relax its rules of engagement for airstrikes in Afghanistan. This led to a massive increase in civilian casualties, with a 330% rise in civilians killed by US-led airstrikes from the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data under the Trump administration.

One notable incident occurred in July 2018 when a US airstrike on a residential compound in Kunduz province killed 14 women and children from the same extended family. While the US military initially denied any civilian casualties, they eventually admitted that 12 civilians were killed and one was injured.

Another incident in March 2019 saw 10 children and three adult civilians killed by a US airstrike in Kunduz. These children were part of the same extended family and had been displaced by fighting elsewhere in the country.

The impact of US-led airstrikes extends beyond direct casualties, as unexploded ordnance and landmines contaminate fields, roads, and school buildings, posing a constant threat to children's lives and well-being.

Children killed or injured by unexploded ordnance

Afghanistan has suffered from decades of war and remains highly dangerous for children, who are at high risk of death from unexploded ordnance. This includes when they are tasked with collecting scrap metal to sell for their family income. Many are killed or maimed when they come across unexploded ordnance.

In 2000-2002, Afghanistan had the highest number of casualties due to landmines and unexploded ordnance in the world. The number of victims reported each year varied between 516 in 1997 and 1561 in 1999. Overall, 54% of reported injuries were in children under 18 years of age, with most injuries in children aged 5-14 years. In all, 42% of injuries due to unexploded ordnance in children were when the victim was playing or tampering with explosives.

In the last seven months of 2022, 301 children were either killed or injured by explosive remnants of war and landmines. The real figure is thought to be much higher. In the first half of 2021, child casualties in the country hit their highest levels to date, with more than 550 children killed and an additional 1,400 injured.

In one incident in Helmand province, four children were killed and three injured when an unexploded shell detonated inside their school. The children had discovered the shell and brought it inside to play with. In another incident in Kunduz, six children were killed and three injured when an explosive remnant of war detonated inside a home.

In total, nearly 33,000 children have been killed and maimed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, an average of one child every five hours. The true number of direct child casualties of the conflict is likely to be much higher than estimated, and this number does not include children who have died due to hunger, poverty and disease.

Children facing food insecurity and malnutrition

Afghanistan has been facing a food insecurity and malnutrition crisis of "unparalleled proportions". The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, stated that acute hunger in the country rose from 14 million in July to 23 million in March, forcing households to resort to "desperate measures" to put food on the table.

According to the UN Resident Coordinator, 95% of Afghans are not getting enough to eat, with that number rising to almost 100% in female-headed households. This has led to high levels of wasting in children and other harmful impacts on their physical and mental well-being. Acute malnutrition rates in 28 out of 34 provinces are high, with more than 3.5 million children in need of nutrition treatment support.

The crisis is a result of several factors, including conflict, drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have led to increased hunger and the destruction of family livelihoods. The war in Afghanistan has also contributed to the breakdown of the economy, public health, security, and infrastructure, impoverishing Afghans and exacerbating the effects of poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to healthcare.

The situation is particularly dire for children under five, with half of them expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. About 1 million children are on the brink of starvation and at risk of dying due to severe acute malnutrition without immediate treatment. Severe child malnutrition is on the rise, with health clinics filling up with malnourished children under five exhibiting symptoms such as pneumonia, acute diarrhea, and emaciation.

The humanitarian response to the crisis has been massive, with humanitarian partners supporting millions of people with life-saving and life-sustaining food assistance. However, the UN and other organizations have emphasized the need for an "immediate, sustained, and large-scale humanitarian response" to address the food insecurity and malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan.

Children recruited into conflict by armed groups

The recruitment of children into armed conflict is a grave violation of child rights and international humanitarian law. Children are often abducted, threatened, coerced, manipulated, or forced into joining armed groups, with others joining voluntarily due to poverty, a desire to protect their communities, or a need to provide for their families.

Regardless of the circumstances that lead to their recruitment, children in armed groups are exposed to acute levels of violence and are often forced to participate in training or initiation ceremonies, combat, hazardous labour, torture, and killings. They may be used as fighters, scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers, or even sex slaves. Girls are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

The use of children in armed conflict is a form of child labour and a violation of human rights. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits the recruitment of children under 18 by armed forces and groups. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies the conscription or enlistment of children under the age of 15 or using them to participate in hostilities as a war crime.

The recruitment and use of children by armed groups have severe consequences for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Many children suffer from physical, developmental, and mental health issues. They may also face challenges in reintegration, as they have lost ties to their families and communities, and may be viewed with suspicion or rejected.

Efforts to prevent child recruitment and support the release and reintegration of children associated with armed groups have intensified in recent years. Organisations like UNICEF and Save the Children provide safe places for children to live, as well as community-based services, family tracing, reunification, and psychosocial support. They also offer specialised support for survivors of gender-based violence and link children to mental and physical health services, education, and vocational opportunities.

Despite these efforts, the recruitment of children into armed conflict remains a significant issue, with thousands of children still being used as soldiers or in other roles by armed groups worldwide.

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