HELP CHILDREN IN AFGHANISTAN

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN

The living conditions of children and families in Afghanistan are rapidly worsening. Decades of conflict have left the country on the brink of collapse, with disastrous consequences for children. Afghanistan is facing multiple crises, including conflict, a collapsing economy, rampant disease outbreaks, chronic poverty and climate shocks like floods, landslides and droughts.

Recent cross‑border fighting and the large‑scale return of Afghan families from neighbouring countries, including Iran and Pakistan, are driving new displacement, casualties and added pressure on Afghanistan’s already overstretched services.

All of these factors have collided to create an unprecedented humanitarian emergency:

• 21.9 million people – including 11.6 million children – need humanitarian assistance
• 17.4 million people, more than one-third of the population, will face food insecurity
• 14.4 million people need access to emergency healthcare 
• 942,000 children under age 5 require life-saving treatment for severe acute malnutrition

Afghanistan is experiencing one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world for children. Please Donate Now.

GIRLS’ AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN ARE BEING DENIED

Women and girls are the hardest hit by the situation in Afghanistan.  Bans on secondary education and workforce participation, coupled with restrictive daily-life rules, has significantly increased their protection risks, devastated their rights to an education and restricted their access to healthcare. The impacts will be felt for generations to come.

HOW IS UNICEF RESPONDING TO THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN?

First and foremost, we are staying.

UNICEF has been in Afghanistan for more than 70 years. In that time, we’ve nurtured community networks and built trust in order to reach children with essential services, and we have become experienced at delivering life-saving supplies in difficult circumstances. Our work for children and families in every region of the country continues, even in the face of escalating crisis.

We’re on the ground, helping children access health and nutrition services, clean and safe water, and quality education. A critical part of our work is responding to emergencies to ensure children and families are able to receive life-saving support when they need it most.

In 2025 alone, we:

• Helped over 20 million people access essential health services.
• Screened 11.8 million children for wasting — a disease caused by acute malnutrition.
• Reached over 2.6 million people with essential water, sanitation and hygiene supplies across all 34 provinces.

The very future of the country’s children is at stake, and we need your help.

HOW YOUR DONATION WILL HELP CHILDREN IN AFGHANISTAN

Your donation helps UNICEF staff in Afghanistan continue delivering essential emergency programs. With your support, we aim to reach 12 million people, including 6.5 million children, with humanitarian assistance in 2026, including:

• Providing emergency shelter supplies, blankets and warm clothes
• Treating children suffering from severe acute malnutrition 
• Providing emergency water and sanitation supplies
• Delivering critical mental health and psychological support for children and caregivers