The European Union has contributed 2.7 million euros to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support children affected by the emergency situation in Afghanistan.
UNICEF said in a newsletter today that this EU aid will be used to improve access to education among children affected by emergency situations and children who are suffering from malnutrition in hard-to-reach areas of the country.
Luigi Pandolfi, the head of the European Union's humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, said: "With the closure of schools from March 14, 2020, more than 9.5 million children in public schools and 500 thousand children in local educational schools are unable to continue their education according to the normal schedule."
Pandolfi added that if the emergency caused by the corona virus continues, families will lose their means of livelihood, which will increase the problems of children's malnutrition.
UNICEF emphasized that due to the unprecedented scope of the corona virus, it is possible that Afghanistan will suffer severe injuries due to the weak health system and the limited capacity to control the spread of this virus.
In this announcement, Abu Bakr Kampo, the representative of UNICEF in Afghanistan, said that in Afghanistan, 3.7 million eligible children, including 60% of girls, do not have access to education, and about 690,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished. It is necessary to deal with them.
Meanwhile, the spread of the corona virus is increasing in Afghanistan, and so far 1,174 people have been infected with the virus. The Afghan government has also closed the gates of schools and educational centers for a while to prevent the spread of this virus.
Shabnam Niazi
