Attachments
Highlights
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In September 2023, more than six million people received essential health and nutrition services at UNICEF-supported health facilities. Half of the people reached were children under five.
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246,792 children and caregivers (43% girls and women) including 1,134 children with disability were reached with child protection prevention, risk mitigation and response services.
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UNICEF initiated the second round of cash assistance distribution in Zabul province, reaching 13,754 households across four districts.
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UNICEF, through various implementing partners, provided safe drinking water to 288,555 people in 16 provinces through the construction of boreholes, rehabilitation and installation of solar-powered water supply systems and chlorination of water systems in Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) affected communities.
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As of September 2023, UNICEF’s humanitarian appeal for children in Afghanistan (HAC) is only 48 per cent funded.
Situation in numbers
29.2M People in need of humanitarian assistance (Revised HRP 2023)
15.8M children in need of humanitarian assistance (Revised HRP 2023)
875,000 children under 5 expected to need treatment for severe acute malnutrition (HNO 2023)
17.6M people in need of humanitarian health assistance (HNO 2023)
Funding Overview and Partnerships
As of 30 September 2023, the UNICEF Afghanistan Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal is only 48 per cent funded. This includes flexible humanitarian funding from both public and private partners, which enables UNICEF to utilize resources to respond to rising and sudden needs. UNICEF is grateful to Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as the extensive family of National Committees for UNICEF for the contributions received in September. Furthermore, UNICEF extends special appreciation to Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States of America, as well as individual donors who contributed core resources to UNICEF globally. UNICEF will continue to partner with donors to ensure sufficient resources are mobilized to address the needs of children and communities in Afghanistan. Urgent and critical funding gaps threaten to affect UNICEF’s ability to reach the most vulnerable children and families with lifesaving interventions, especially for the life-saving treatment of severe wasting, winterization support and the provision of WASH and child protection services.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with 29.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Decades of conflict, extreme climate shocks, and severe economic decline characterized by high unemployment, cash shortages, and rising food prices have plunged millions into poverty. The preliminary results of the Whole of Afghanistan Assessment (WoAA) conducted in August and September 2023 continues to show a precarious situation in Afghanistan. While the humanitarian response has prevented a catastrophe, the situation has not improved, with some sectors, such as WASH, seeing a deterioration. Drought and economic shocks remain the primary drivers of humanitarian needs in 2023.
Following several months of rising monthly caseloads, the national epidemiological curve has shown a decreasing trend in the number of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) cases with dehydration reported during the month of September. Since the beginning of this year, 176,704 AWD with dehydration cases have been reported from 333 districts, out of which 100,571 (57%) were children under five and 87,900 (50%) were females.
On 26 September, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in Pakistan highlighted that the government had developed a repatriation plan that was aimed at removing foreigners (including Afghans) who do not hold a valid Pakistan visa or residency arrangement, such as valid refugee status or a Proof of Registration card from the country. This decision would come into effect from 1 November. Since the announcement, the number of Afghans crossing the two main borders with Pakistan, Chaman border and Torkham border, has increased. Between 16 and 30 September 2023, a total of 20,156 Afghan nationals spontaneously returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman border points, compared to only 3,808 from 1 to 15 September 2023. In addition, 306 individuals were forcibly returned due to a lack of valid documentation. Since 1 January 2023, IOM has identified 84,000 Afghan returnees at these two border crossings, excluding those who were forcibly returned.