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80% of newly displaced Afghans are women, children, says UNHCR

Geneva - International agencies plead with world to prevent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

Almost 80 per cent of newly displaced people in Afghanistan are women and children, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said.

This comes as international agencies are pleading with the world to donate to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. According to the UN agencies, the impact of the conflict has been particularly devastating on women and girls.

A Dawn newspaper report stated that UNHCR’s activities in Pakistan have been supporting efforts with the government who has for decades hosted and provided protection to Afghan refugees.

According to the Pakistani daily, UNHCR will use the grant funding to provide over 3,000 displaced individuals, shelter and core relief items, for the upcoming harsh winter.

Saadia Madsbjerg, president of the Coca-Cola Foundation, said this is a multi-faceted crisis disproportionately affecting women and girls. “We hope this grant will be meaningful in providing displaced Afghan families in Pakistan with critical support.”

Earlier this month, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi has said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is pretty desperate and called for urgent aid to the country. Speaking at a presser in Islamabad, Grandi described the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as “pretty desperate” and stressed that food, medicines, shelter and other necessities are needed urgently.

On Monday, UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons had discussed the humanitarian crisis with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Lyons had said that she discussed the humanitarian crisis with Muttaqi and the UN’s work around the country, and how all Afghans, men and women, need to address the daunting humanitarian and development challenges facing the country.

“The basic right of all Afghans to work & education raised today by @DeborahLyonsUN with Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi & Dr Majrooh. The Taliban reps said women in Afghanistan health facilities are invited back to work and efforts are ongoing in other sectors. Vital to see progress,” said the official account of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).