UNICEF: Flash floods in Afghanistan threaten lives of thousands of children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan continue to be affected by ongoing flash floods, particularly in the northern provinces of Baghlan and Badakhshan and the western province of Ghor.
These floods have claimed nearly 350 lives, including at least 12 children, damaged or destroyed more than 7,800 homes, and displaced over 5,000 families.
In its report, UNICEF stated that it has mobilized mobile health and nutrition teams to treat the injured and the sick, and provided immediate cash assistance through the Rapid Response Mechanism to help families recover and meet their basic needs.
Dr. Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, emphasized that the international community must redouble efforts and investments to support local communities in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change on children.
He added that the increasing number of extreme climate events will require UNICEF and other humanitarian actors to respond more swiftly and on a larger scale. At the same time, UNICEF must focus on building the resilience of communities to climate and environmental shocks to reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid.
UNICEF reminded that Afghanistan ranks 15th out of 163 countries on the 2021 Children’s Climate Risk Index prepared by the organization. This indicates that climate and environmental shocks and stresses are not only prevalent across the country, but that children there are particularly vulnerable to their impacts compared to other parts of the world.
The United Nations pointed out that although children in Afghanistan are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, their country is among the least responsible for creating the problem. Notably, the top 10 countries in terms of carbon dioxide emissions collectively produce nearly 70 percent of global emissions.
