RASC News Agency: UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, proclaimed on Monday, January 15th, that nearly one hundred thousand children in Afghanistan are in dire need of assistance, three months after earthquakes wrought havoc on the western region. A seismic event, registering 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck Herat province on October 7th, followed by another formidable earthquake on October 11th, resulting in over a thousand casualties. UNICEF asserted that the majority of victims in the critical and Gospel Alive areas are women and children, with 21,000 homes reduced to ruins.
Fran Equiza, UNICEF’s envoy in Afghanistan, articulated the formidable challenges confronting these villages, compounded by the distress of the post-earthquake 100 days, during which families lost everything. Equiza underscored, “As if that were not sufficient, winter has descended, with temperatures plummeting below freezing. Children and families without homes endure precarious nocturnal conditions, lacking means to warm their temporary shelters.” UNICEF disclosed an urgent requirement of $1.4 billion in 2024 to address the humanitarian and essential needs of 19.4 million Afghanistanis, constituting half the population. The agency observed that the Taliban’s neglect in investing in public services has exacerbated the decay of essential services, hampering vulnerable communities’ ability to rebound from shocks and foster resilience.
Equiza acknowledged the prompt response from assisting partners, enabling UNICEF to swiftly attend to the urgent needs of children and their families in Herat, expressing gratitude. Daniel Team, UNICEF’s Director of Communications in Afghanistan, illuminated the extensive devastation of schools, residences, health facilities, and water systems. He emphasized that, despite available funds, they remain insufficient, advocating for the empowerment of these communities. Team concluded, “Quelling the blaze is inadequate. We must fortify Afghanistan’s resilience.”
Simultaneously, on Monday, UNICEF declared that 23.3 million individuals, encompassing 12.6 million children, will necessitate humanitarian assistance in 2024. Aid is predominantly dwindling due to the persistent effects of protracted conflict, severe weather shocks, and the nation’s profound economic crisis. It is noteworthy that since the Taliban seized control in Afghanistan, poverty and unemployment among citizens have markedly escalated, eliciting substantial concerns among the country’s populace.
