August 2024 - ChildFund Australia

Three years since the transition of political power to the Taliban, the economic situation for children, families and communities has continued to deteriorate across Afghanistan.

According to the United Nations, in 2024, 23.7 million people – more than half of the country’s population – will need humanitarian assistance. In addition, 65 percent of families reported directly experiencing an economic shock, a 20 percent increase compared to 2022.

Life in Afghanistan has been marked by decades of insecurity and conflict, recurrent disasters, entrenched poverty and escalating climate-induced crises. As a result there are a multitude of factors that contribute to increasing the vulnerability of children, families and communities, including:

Economic crisis

The political transition in August 2021 exacerbated underlying fragilities that are limiting livelihood opportunities in both urban and rural communities.

Climate-induced crises

After a third consecutive year of drought-like conditions alongside rising temperatures, precipitation patterns have altered across the country, diminishing people’s access to water and damaging food supplies.

Recurrent earthquakes

Lying on multiple fault lines, Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to multiple earthquakes. In 2023, nearly 400 earthquakes hit the country, including three 6.3 magnitude shocks within eight days in Herat Province that destroyed 40,000 homes and left 275,000 people in need of urgent support.

Restrictions on rights of women and girls

Barriers to women and girls’ participation in public life resulted in significant setbacks in their access to education and employment with many subjected to forced marriage and other forms of gender-based violence.

The country is in crisis. But, above all, it is a child rights crisis.

Afghanistan has one of the highest youth populations in the world, and almost 8 million children – one in three – face crisis levels of hunger. Just to put food on the table, parents are forced to let their children engage in hazardous labour and early marriage.

For women, especially those at the head of their families, rising hunger as well as ongoing restrictions on their rights and participation in public life has left them struggling to meet their own and their families’ basic needs. Under Taliban rule, women are left without the right to work or leave the house independently, and are becoming even more vulnerable and often forced to resort to emergency coping mechanisms.

Zabeeda, lives with her five children and sick husband in rural Afghanistan, and despite working everyday as a cleaner in people’s homes, she barely makes enough money to purchase bread. Out of desperation, she was forced to sell one of her children, Farshad. At the time, it was thought as the only way to save the rest of the family from desperate hunger.

After joining ChildFund’s Cash for Food program, Zabeeda could buy food, clothes for children and medicine for her husband.

“They gave us money with which I bought food (oil, rice, and pulses) and clothes for my children. I bought medicine for my husband. Our living conditions have thankfully improved. I feel many changes,” she said.

The Power of Cash during Humanitarian Emergencies

Much like the cash we use in our everyday lives, the provision of cash assistance after crises is a dignified and effective form of humanitarian assistance. Cash empowers people by giving them the opportunity to determine how to meet their most pressing needs while also fueling the local economy.

ChildFund and our partners, WeWorld and the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan (RRAA), are supporting families to access lifesaving food supplies and other essential items through cash transfers. For women-headed households, this type of assistance plays a critical role in helping them fulfill their family’s needs and build a future.

How ChildFund is supporting women-headed households in Afghanistan with cash assistance?

Aziz was widowed four years ago. Since then, growing economic insecurity, and recurrent natural disasters left her struggling to feed her four children. Her youngest daughter become acutely malnourished leaving Aziz fearing for her health and wellbeing.

“I have been through a lot of challenges after my husband died. After he passed, there was not any income to feed the children and respond to our needs,” she said.

“Due to there not being enough food available, my small daughter became malnourished, and I was forced to borrow money from my neighbours and relatives to treat my daughter”.

Each day Aziz would go house to house baking bread, and at night she would tailor clothes as her children slept. But however hard she worked it was never enough.

“During the night, I was tailoring for people, and during the day I was going out around the village to baking bread as labour to earn something to feed my children.”

Aziz’s family was one of 500 families who were provided with cash assistance to help them meet their most pressing needs in the wake of growing economic crisis and increasing food and water scarcity.

“[The cash] helped me a lot to provide food three times during the day, provide clothes, and education materials for my children, and treat them when they faced sickness. It has made my life better.”

While restrictive policies continue to hinder women’s ability to engage in economic activities, and their access to services and assistance, it is critical to support families like Aziz’s to purchase lifesaving essential items.

Donate today to help children and their families living in protracted crises access lifesaving food and essential items.

Conflicts and war can have a profound and enduring impact on children and families. From physical wounds to emotional scars, conflict and war can affect a child on many levels.

Around the world, more than 420 million children – or one in six children – are living in a conflict zone. Millions more are living in a country affected by conflict.

Below are the different ways in which conflict harms children and how, together, we can help alleviate its impacts.

Photo above: Giovanni Diffidenti / WeWorld

Where Children are Impacted by War and Conflict

Children around the world – from Ethiopia to Afghanistan and Ukraine – are without food, clean water, shelter and protection.

In Ukraine, an average of at least two children have been killed or injured every day since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. Millions more children have fled their homes and are living in temporary shelters in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Thirteen-year-old David remembers when the shooting first began in his town, near the capital Kyiv.

In Afghanistan, the impact of conflict on children has been compounded by the effects of drought, food shortages and poverty. Restrictions and limited work opportunities have made it difficult for women to earn an income; widowed and single mothers and their children are hungry.

There are many more countries that are facing war or conflict right now; in every case, children are the most vulnerable.

The Impacts of War and Conflict on Children

Children caught up in conflict are often deprived of food, protection, education, and their childhood. Many families who have fled their homes have no way of earning an income, so cannot access food, clean water, or health care. Without assistance, children are more likely to face hunger, sickness and disease.

According to the United Nations (UN), there are Six Grave Violations against children during armed conflict.

Killing and maiming of children
Recruitment or use of children as soldiers
Sexual violence against children
Abduction of children
Attacks against schools or hospitals
Denial of humanitarian access for children

Between 2005 and 2022, the UN verified 315,000 grave violations against children in conflict.

Children who have been forced to leave their homes because of war and conflict are often without alternative shelter and cannot go to school. This puts them at a higher risk of abuse and exploitation. Displaced girls and women, and unaccompanied children, are particularly at risk.

Exposure to violence, and constant fear and uncertainty caused by war and conflict, can have negative, long-term impacts on children. This includes a child’s psychological, emotional, and social development. Poor development in these areas can affect a child’s ability to learn and, in turn, their job prospects in the future. This means, for a child living in poverty, conflict will perpetuate the cycle of disadvantage in their family.

How Does War Affect Children’s Wellbeing?

The trauma of witnessing an extremely stressful or terrifying event — violence, losing family members, and the instability of displacement — can severely impact children’s long-term mental wellbeing. More commonly referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), symptoms of this mental health condition may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Children displaced by conflict and violence may also experience depression, have difficulty concentrating, and withdraw from social interactions.

The negative effects of war on children are numerous and far-reaching. They include:

Physical injuries and disabilities
Malnutrition and starvation
Disrupted education and limited access to schooling
Increased risk of exploitation and abuse
Loss of family members and caregivers
Psychological trauma and mental health issues

What can I do to Help Children in Conflict?

At ChildFund, we are working with local partners on the ground in conflict zones and conflict-affected communities to help children and their families survive and begin to recover from the impacts of war.

Donating to ChildFund can provide essential resources to families affected by war, helping them rebuild their lives and support their children’s development. Creating safe spaces, offering psychological support, and providing educational opportunities are crucial steps in helping families recover and thrive despite the challenges posed by conflict.

A donation to our Children in Conflict appeal can help provide food, clean water and health care to displaced children and their families.

It can also help create safe spaces for children, where they can play and experience a sense of normality amid the turmoil and uncertainty caused by conflict. These spaces also offer counselling for children to help them cope and recover from the psychological, social, and emotional impacts of conflict.

To help even more children, you can donate monthly to ChildFund Australia. A regular donation allows us and our local partners to quickly respond to conflicts and crises, as well as continue the long-term work that supports children and young people to be safe, healthy, and educated. Or, round up your colleagues and give back together through workplace giving.

By understanding the profound impact of war and conflict on children, we can better advocate for their protection and support their recovery. Your contributions and support are crucial in making a difference in their lives.

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