Afghanistan has been ranked among the worst countries to be born in, according to a report by KidsRights Foundation, a children’s advocacy organisation.
The 2023 KidsRights Index, an annual report ranking of children’s rights, evaluated 192 countries across five domains: life, health, education, protection, and enabling environment.
The report shows that mortality rates for children under five years of age have risen in many countries as a result of acute poverty and child labour has tripled in some places, with children’s rights being curtailed.
“One in four children across the world are projected to be living below the poverty line this year,” the report said.
According to the report, the conditions for children in Afghanistan, particularly girls, in Afghanistan is in an “alarming state”.
The report states that the Taliban ban on girls’ education has had a significant impact on the fundamental rights of children in the country.
“Denying girls access to education raises real concerns not only around their educational prospects but also around their rights to holistic development, information, participation and general safety in all respects,” the report says.
“There are also strong indications that this ban has already led to higher rates of child marriage and child labor in the country – reversing any positive progress that was made up to now.”
Founder and Chair of KidsRights, Marc Dullaert, has called on governments to “focus their efforts on investing in children for the betterment of our society.”
