A refugee camp in Badghis, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2021 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

This is UNICEF’s largest-ever single-country appeal. It addresses the urgent humanitarian need of over 24 million people in Afghanistan, half of whom are children.

At least 2 billion USD is needed to avert the imminent collapse of health, nutrition, clean water, education, and other vital social services for children and families.

As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, there have been alarming disruptions in health and nutrition services, a disastrous food crisis, drought, outbreaks of measles, acute watery diarrhoea, polio, and other preventable diseases, and now the crippling onset of winter.

Alice Akunga, UNICEF Afghanistan Representative, said the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is dire, especially for children. Without additional funding, UNICEF and its partners will be unable to reach the children and families that need help the most.