Afghanistan Emergency

Kids in Afghanistan have hope, they just need a little help.

Decades of conflict, increased climate related disasters and an ongoing cycle of poverty has made Afghanistan one of the worst places on earth to be a child. Right now, more than 15 million kids need our help. 

Afghan children need the basics we take for granted - clean water, food, vaccines, healthcare and education. And while 15 million is an enormous number of children, each one of them has a name and hope for the future. But right now, they just need a little help to put smiles back on their faces.  

Thanks to amazing donors like you, we’ve been helping kids in Afghanistan for more than 70 years. In that time we’ve built trusted community networks and established programmes in every region of the country. That’s meant we’re able to deliver  long-term holistic solutions to the big problems kids face, while meeting their immediate emergency needs. 

As long as Afghan children need us, and we have your incredible support, we’ll be there. A little help from you today could make a life-saving difference. 

Please donate now to support children in Afghanistan. 

What's the humanitarian situation like for kids?

It's a struggle for Kids in Afghanistan. Every day they face the challenge of finding clean water to drink, having somewhere to wash their hands, getting enough to eat and a place to go to school. But we know these children are resilient and are hopeful for a better future.

How does the situation look right now in Afghanistan:

• 29.2 million people (around 69% of Afghanistan’s population) are in need of humanitarian assistance at the start of 2024. 
  
• 3.7 million kids are not currently in school, 60% of them are girls. The ban on secondary education is still in place for girls.
  
• Nearly half of all Afghan children under 5 are malnourished. 875,000 kids need treatment for severe acute malnutrition.
  
• 1.6 million kids are trapped in some form of child labour.  
  
• Climate related emergencies such as drought, harsh winters and flooding are having greater impact on already vulnerable families. 

How will my donation help?

It's only thanks to donations from our amazing supporters that we can continue to meet the immediate and future needs of kids in Afghanistan.

For example, we’re working with children and families in 885 communities, providing them with hygiene education, toilets and handwashing facilities to help prevent them getting sick. 80,000 people will receive hygiene kits including soap, shampoo, a bucket, towels, laundry soap and other essential items as part of this work.

Any donation you can make for kids in Afghanistan will be a life-changing and life-saving one.

How's UNICEF been responding?

The humanitarian needs of children in Afghanistan are diverse, and therefore our response must be wide-reaching and diverse.

Here's a snapshot of what's been achieved in 2023 with support from our incredible donors.

• Together, we've helped more than 20 million people access primary healthcare through UNICEF-supported facilities. 
• Together, we've vaccinated 1.25 million children under one against deadly measles. 
• Together, we've screened almost 13 million kids for malnutrition, and treated 655,000 kids for severe acute malnutrition. 
• Together, we've reached more than 4.2 million children with emergency education support. 
• Together, we've provided more than 1.77 million people with access to safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene.  

Why donate to UNICEF?

UNICEF’s work is 100% donor funded. We rely on the generosity of people like you to deliver life-saving help and supplies to kids in 192 countries and territories around the world.  

UNICEF has been supporting children and their rights for more than 75 years. We have decades of experience responding in emergency situations (300+ each year). And with a web of supply hubs and logistic networks across the world, and expert committed staff on the ground – we’re uniquely positioned to maximise the impact of every dollar donated. 

We’ve been in Afghanistan since 1949 and we’re not going anywhere. We have offices and teams across the country, and in neighbouring countries, working around the clock to deliver for children. 

Other ways you can donate

If you'd like to donate over the phone, call our friendly team on 0800 243 575. 

If you'd like to donate direct to our bank account, please use account 01-0505-0463764-00 and code 'AFG-WS'. 

Other ways you can help Afghan children:

Help us spread awareness of the situation for kids in Afghanistan by sharing this appeal with your friends and family. 

If you'd like to fundraise with your community to support our work, you can start a fundraiser here.