Kabul - 1 December 2001
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It's
a pleasure to be here.
I would like to say a few words about why I felt it was important to come to Afghanistan - and talk about some of the issues I'm focusing on during my visit to the region.
My basic message is this : For Afghanistan to really recover and thrive as a society, children must be an immediate priority - children's present and chidren's future.
When I talk about children's present, I mean their very survival. Taking care of their health over the next few months, through the winter, is a key UNICEF concern. That means urgent distribution of life-saving emergency supplies - which we have been doing for the past several months - things like blankets, heated tents, providing clean water, clothes and boots... all this, thanks to the courage and dedication of our Afghan national staff who have been here, day-in day-out.
When I talk about children's future - I am talking about things like health and education, for girls and boys. And I'm talking about learning to avoid the dangers posed by landmines.
For some time, Afghanistan has been one of the worst places in the world to grow up as a child. The challenges are daunting - but there is great opportunity here too.
Today, I went to a home-based school. Though the school year starts at the end of March, parents are so eager to send their kids to school, to give them a safe place to spend a few hours a day - that they send them to these. Formerly outlawed - they have been a substitute to a system of education that used to exclude girls. Their popularity speaks for itself. In 1999, one UNICEF-sponsored project provided schooling to 3000 students, this year 58-thousand girls and boys are attending.
Another programme targets adolescent girls. It gives them the chance to catch up on years of schooling they'd missed. In 8 months, they make up for years of lost time. Last year, 100 young women took part in the programme. This year there are 500 attending.
I met one teacher, who lost her job when the Taleban came to power - but chose to offer classes at her home - defying the ban on education for girls. Dangerous - yes. But she was willing to take the risk, even if it meant going to jail, to ensure that the children in this country enjoy their right to an education.
I also visited Malalai pediatric hospital. As you probably know - it is the main hospital for maternity care in Kabul. 40 babies are born there a day. The health care of babies and mothers is critical in a country where a mother dies every half-hour giving birth, and where one in four children dies before the age of 5, due to preventable diseases.
We also had a wonderful meeting with a group of about 30 women, all of whom work with UNICEF in their respective communities, going door to door talking to other women about hygiene, health care, the rights and protection of children. Among them, were lawyers, doctors, teachers, psychologists - all banned from working since 1996, all ready willing and eager to return to work, to help rebuild their country. The participation of, and the role of, women in the future is also a key UNICEF concern.
Finally a word about UNICEF staff, if I may. Another important reason for my visit here is to thank the Afghan nationals who have worked with such dedication, commitment and courage over the past few weeks and years, on behalf of the women and children of this country.
Children here deserve a better future - they are the future of Afghanistan.
For more information on UNICEF, visit its website at http://www.unicef.org