KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that, with $1.5 million in funding from China, it will provide essential hygiene items to communities affected by natural disasters and disease outbreaks in Afghanistan.
UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday that with the new funding, it will provide water purification tablets and family hygiene kits to over 28,500 households, benefiting around 289,000 people in Afghanistan.
The UN agency noted that the hygiene kits contain 14 essential items, including soap, shampoo, reusable sanitary pads, dental hygiene supplies, and storage containers.
The Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, was quoted in the statement saying, “Proper hygiene is crucial to protect children and families from disease outbreaks. We are pleased to partner with UNICEF to address these urgent needs.”
“This marks a new beginning in our shared commitment to the Afghan people, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration to create a healthier future,” he added.
Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, said, “The effects of climate change are only growing stronger in Afghanistan, and UNICEF expects this will require timely humanitarian response,” adding that it is only possible with strengthened preparedness measures, such as pre-positioning of emergency response supplies.
Afghanistan is one of the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries globally, with over two decades of drought depleting its underground water resources.
According to the 2022-23 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 12 million people in Afghanistan lack access to basic drinking water. This, coupled with inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices, leads to outbreaks of diseases such as acute watery diarrhea.
Since January 2024, according to the UN, more than 150,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea with dehydration have been reported in Afghanistan, including 73 deaths, 56% of which are children under five years old.
On the other hand, the country is experiencing the world’s largest and most severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly 24 million people—over half of the population—urgently in need of humanitarian aid.
Malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world, with around 3.2 million children and 840,000 pregnant and nursing mothers affected by severe or moderate acute malnutrition.
To address this urgent need, the UN requested $3 billion in funding to provide life-saving assistance to these vulnerable populations. However, it has so far received only $961.7 million, or 31.4% of the required funds.
