Over 38,000 People Displaced In More Than Six Months In Afghanistan
In a recent report, Save the Children announced that at least 38,488 people were displaced due to extreme weather events across Afghanistan in the first half of this year.
In a recent report, Save the Children announced that at least 38,488 people were displaced due to extreme weather events across Afghanistan in the first half of this year.
The organisation stated that half of these displaced individuals are children.
According to the organisation, the six-month displacement figure in Afghanistan this year exceeds the total number for last year.
On Tuesday, August 6, Save the Children wrote in its latest report that these individuals were forced to leave their homes due to drought, high temperatures, floods, landslides, avalanches, and storms in Afghanistan.
This child protection organisation mentioned that last year, Afghanistan had the highest number of displaced children in the world.
Save the Children, quoting the United Nations, reported that in 2022, one out of every seven children in Afghanistan faced long-term displacement. The organisation said that this is the highest rate in South Asia and second globally.
Save the Children stated that Afghanistan is among the countries least capable of adapting to and coping with climate crises and is the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change globally.
Arshad Malik, Save The Children Country Director in Afghanistan, said, “The climate crisis is fuelling the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It is forcing people from their homes, destroying water sources, and preventing children from going to school."
He added that compared to people over 60 years old, newborns in Afghanistan are 5.3 times more likely to face drought during their lifetimes, and this crisis alters the lives of children.
The organisation, quoting the United Nations, reported that more than one in three people in Afghanistan faces critical hunger due to climate-induced crises and high food prices.
According to the United Nations, 25 out of 34 provinces in Afghanistan are experiencing drought conditions, affecting more than half of the country's population.
Save the Children added that research repeatedly shows that girls and women are disproportionately affected by natural disasters compared to men.
The organisation noted that since the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan has seen a significant reduction in aid over the past three years, and thus humanitarian organisations alone cannot be expected to bridge this gap.
Save the Children has called for increased international assistance to meet current needs and for long-term planning to address the climate crisis.
