Two-Thirds Of Afghan Children Affected By Conflict, Says Charity

RFE/RL. Almost two-thirds of Afghan children have been impacted by the ongoing conflict in the war-wracked country, the British-based Save the Children charity says.

Children affected by the conflict lost a family member, witnessed battles or attacks, or sustained conflict-related injuries, the charity said in a report published on November 19.

Seven hundred adults and children were interviewed across four Afghan provinces for the report, which said a large proportion of minors suffers from symptoms such as depression and anxiety, and lack access to vital support services to help them cope.

Children were most scared on the way to school, parents interviewed for the report said.

Save the Children said that 38 percent of the children hurt themselves, while others behaved violently toward other children.

According to a quarterly report published by the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), last year was the deadliest year for Afghan children since the agency began documenting casualties caused by the conflict in 2009.

The UN report said that 927 children were killed and more than 2,100 others were injured in the Afghan war.
With reporting by dpa

​Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.