Participant Hassan and his little sister stand outside their home in Afghanistan.
Where we work

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is facing an urgent and profound crisis, with two-thirds of its population in dire need of humanitarian aid due to conflict, economic decline, and frequent natural disasters.

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Four decades of conflict have left 23.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. A staggering 12.6 million of them are children.

The public health care system has collapsed, and human rights, especially for women and girls, are increasingly marginalised.

High unemployment and escalating prices have pushed households into debt, resulting in widespread hunger. The 2023 earthquakes in Herat and the subsequent prolonged drought have only further intensified the urgent need for aid.

Scale of the challenge

  • 12.6 M

    Children in need of humanitarian assistance.

  • 6.3 M

    People internally displaced.

  • 6 M

    Children and adults at risk of acute severe malnutrition.

Our work in Afghanistan

War Child has been in Afghanistan since 2002. We started our work in the city of Herat, in the Western region, implementing food security and livelihoods projects with internally displaced families. In 2007, we expanded to the eastern and central regions to cover three key areas: protection, education, and livelihoods - as well as broader issues like advocacy and gender discrimination. Currently, War Child’s programmes are delivered with partner organisations in the western provinces of Herat, Badghis, Farah, and Ghor.

Jawad smiling in Afghanistan.
At just 15 years old, Ahmad had no choice but to embark on the long and treacherous journey from Afghanistan to Iran in search of work to support his family. Credit: War Child UK.
I like going to school and learning. I want to be a teacher in the future because it will enable me to provide for my family. I will also be able to educate myself and forget the past.
Jawad, Afghanistan.

War Child programmes include: 

  • Rolling out a large-scale emergency response plan to provide life-saving child protection, education, and livelihoods support to help the most vulnerable families survive. 
  • Running child-friendly spaces and providing mental health support to children. In 2023, 86 child-friendly spaces were established in partnership with local NGOs, and 25,223 children received psychosocial support.
  • Operating child helplines with mobile child protection teams and working with community-based child protection committees. In 2023, this was a lifeline for 3,137 children.
  • Reintegrating lost children who have been deported and stranded at the border with Iran after leaving in search of work. In 2023, 6,393 children were identified at the border by War Child and our partners. These children received medical and mental health care in a safe space and were reunited with their families across the country.
  • Providing families with cash relief to support incomes so children can attend school and build their future. In 2023, War Child and our partners provided cash assistance to 2,364 households, helping 16,548 individuals living in vulnerable situations.
  • Establishing community-based education centres. In 2023, War Child and our partners established 225 centres and trained 225 teachers. Together, we conducted 'back-to-school' campaigns that reached 34,937 people.
A staff member and child at a project in Afghanistan.
We won’t stop until every child living through conflict is safe from harm. But we can’t do it without you. 

Donate to War Child today and help us be there for children in Afghanistan and other conflict zones around the world.

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