RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has announced that 89 Afghanistani children suffering from severe burns and bone infections were transported to Germany for specialized medical treatment on Thursday, November 7. The statement noted that these children range in age from one to eleven years old. Simultaneously, 46 children who had completed similar treatment in Germany have been safely returned to Afghanistan.
Shahabuddin Delawar, the Acting Head of ARCS, commented, “Under an agreement with Germany’s Peace Village Foundation, the Red Crescent is able to send Afghanistani children with severe burns and bone diseases, aged between one and eleven, to Germany for treatment twice a year. The Afghanistan Red Crescent Society is committed to continuing this effort.” The ARCS emphasized that it has facilitated the transfer of hundreds of Afghanistani children to Germany for urgent medical care, with the majority returning to Afghanistan fully recovered.
In recent months, UNICEF reported that Afghanistani children face alarming mental health challenges. According to the report, over 24 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 17 experience anxiety ten times the global average. Additionally, nearly 15 percent of Afghanistani children suffer from depression, underscoring the profound impact of the country’s socio-economic conditions on its youngest citizens. Numerous international charities have previously pledged to support Afghanistani children suffering from severe injuries by facilitating their medical treatment.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has experienced a sharp rise in poverty and unemployment. Many families cannot afford essential medical treatment for their children, leading to tragic losses in some cases where children succumb to treatable conditions due to a lack of resources.
