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

Afghanistan

Afghanistan faces an urgent and profound crisis, with fewer than 16% of people able to meet their basic needs.  

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Four decades of conflict in Afghanistan have left 23.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. A staggering 12.6 million of them are children.  

Children face acute physical danger from mines and unexploded devices. High unemployment and rising prices mean households struggle to survive, with hunger and malnutrition widespread. The public healthcare system has collapsed and access to other basic services is extremely limited. The 2023 earthquakes in Herat and the subsequent drought have further intensified the urgent need for aid. 

Children must be protected from further harm as they face exploitation, including child labour and trafficking, and family separation. Rights for women are increasingly marginalised making girls particularly vulnerable as they are excluded from school and at risk of gender-based violence.  

Scale of the challenge

  • 23.7 M

    People in need of humanitarian assistance

  • 6.6 M

    people in need of emergency shelters

  • 1.4 M

    girls excluded from secondary school

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, providing food, cash assistance and vocational training to internally displaced families. In 2007, we expanded this work to the eastern and central regions, alongside child protection and education projects, as well as broader issues like advocacy and gender discrimination. In 2023, we gave urgent support to communities affected by the devastating earthquakes in Herat province. Currently, all of War Child’s programmes are 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: 

Emergency response plan 

Our large-scale plan provides life-saving child protection, education, and vocational training to help the most vulnerable families survive. 

Mental Health Support  

In collaboration with local NGO partners, we established 86 child-friendly spaces in 2023 where 25,223 children played, learned and received vital mental health support. 

Child Protection 

We operate child helplines with mobile child protection teams and community-based child protection groups to ensure the safety of vulnerable children from violence, abuse and exploitation. In 2023, this was a lifeline for 3,137 children. 

Reintegration 

We work with our partners at the border to Iran to identify lost children who have been deported and stranded after leaving in search of work. In 2023, we identified 6,393 children at the border, providing them with medical and mental health care in a safe space before reuniting them with their families across the country.  

Cash Assistance 

We provide cash relief to families so children can attend school and look ahead to a more positive future. In 2023, War Child and our partners provided cash assistance to 2,364 households, helping 16,548 individuals living in vulnerable situations. 

Education 

In 2023, War Child and our partners established 225 community-based education centres and trained 225 teachers. Our 'back-to-school' campaigns also reached 34,937 people. 

 

Project Focus – 2022 Earthquake 

War Child was among the first responders to the October 2023 earthquake, helping 10,134 people. This included providing vital aid kits to 3,527 households and establishing and training 70 community-based child protection committees to support the affected areas. These committees were educated on child protection risks and were offered parenting sessions and child protection support. 

War Child staff walking over the rubble after the earthquake.
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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