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Afghanistan + 1 more

UNICEF Afghanistan Humanitarian Situation Report (January – June 2019)

Attachments

Highlights

  • Ongoing conflict and natural disasters continue to affect the people of Afghanistan, with children and women bearing the largest brunt of the challenging situation. Amid a sharp hike of attacks in June and July of 2019, Afghanistan sees some opportunities with the current peace process.

  • Between January and June 2019, 197 incidents of restricted humanitarian access were recorded which equals 85 per cent of total incidents reported in 2018 that caused operational interference to delivering results for children in certain locations.

  • In first five month of 2019, 114 attacks on health facilities were reported compromising child-health care services and leaving many patients afraid to seek health care.

  • During the first half of the year, 36 schools were reported closed due to insecurity, depriving 13,894 children of education.

  • During the reporting period, 252,000 people (including approximately 150,000 children) were affected by floods across 28 of the 34 provinces.

  • From January to June, UNICEF and partners have reached over half a million people with multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance.

  • Shortage of RUTF led to pausing scale-up of treatment services. A significant number of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition continue to lack access to treatment which is concerning given that 221 out of 34 provinces are currently above the emergency level threshold of acute malnutrition.

  • Child Protection, health and education interventions face over 90 per cent funding gap that will adversely affect provision of critical services to affected populations, notably IDPs and returnee children and women.

SITUATION IN NUMBERS

3,800,000 # of children in need of humanitarian assistance (HNO and HAC, 2019)

6,300,000 # of people in need of humanitarian assistance (HNO & HRP, 2019)

600,000 # of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition – SAM and MAM (Nutrition Cluster, 2019)

500,000 Children in need of emergency education support (HNO & HRP, 2019)

UNICEF Appeal 2019 US$ 50 million

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Despite ongoing peace talks since October 2018, the security situation remains extremely uncertain and volatile. Humanitarian needs are on the rise. Seventeen million people1 - half of Afghanistan’s population, live in areas that are highly affected by conflict, with Badghis, Ghor, Nangarhar, Helmand, Kandahar and Nuristan among the most affected provinces. In the first quarter of 2019, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 1,773 civilian casualties, including 582 child casualties.

In 2019, 252,000 people have been affected by floods across 28 provinces. In the first six months of 2019, 197 verified humanitarian access incidents were reported which equals 85 per cent of total incidents reported in 2018. Thirtysix schools were reported closed due to insecurity, depriving 13,894 children (8,562 boys and 5,332 girls) of education in first half of the year. Between January - May 2019, 114 attacks on health facilities were reported which shows 181 per cent increase comparing same period last year. From Jan to May 2019, 132,200 people were displaced by conflict and about 171,000 people remain in displacement sites in Western Region, due to 2018 drought. Twenty-two out of thirty-four provinces are currently above the emergency level threshold of acute malnutrition.