Children across Afghanistan are increasingly vulnerable to disease and illness due to the deadly combination of rising malnutrition, an unprecedented food crisis, drought, disruptions to vital health and nutrition centres, lack of access to and poor quality of water and sanitation services, and crippling winter weather, United Nations Children’s Fund has said.

As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, outbreaks of life-threatening diseases are putting children’s lives at risk, the UNICEF said in a statement.

More than 66,000 cases of measles have so far been reported in children so far in 2021. There have also been outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea, malaria and dengue fever. Four cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV-1) have been confirmed this year.

Severe winter weather conditions, with temperatures already well below freezing in many areas, increase the risk of pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) as families struggle to heat their homes and keep their children warm, the UN agency said.

Children living in high altitude regions are especially vulnerable and require urgent life-saving assistance including winter clothing, blankets and fuel for heating. Some 25-30 per cent of deaths in children below the age of five are due to respiratory tract infections, with 90 per cent of these deaths due to pneumonia, it added.

“We are approaching a critical juncture for Afghanistan’s children, as winter brings with it a multitude of threats to their health,” said Abdul Kadir Musse, UNICEF Afghanistan Representative.

“There is no time to lose. Without urgent, concerted action – including ensuring we have the resources to deploy additional cash transfers and winter supplies – many of the country’s children will not live to see spring,”

Earlier this month, UNICEF launched its largest-ever single-country appeal to respond to the needs of over 24 million people in Afghanistan, half of whom are children. UNICEF’s appeal for US$2 billion aims to help avert the collapse of health, nutrition, WASH, education and other vital social services for children and families. Last month, UNICEF provided more than 10,000 front-line health workers in over 1,000 health facilities with salaries for November and supported over 1,000 health facilities with medical supplies.