Michael Hughes: Nearly 23 million vulnerable Afghans, most of them children, will likely suffer more than usual this winter because the Taliban have intensified restrictions that hinder UN aid delivery.
“In 2025, 22.9 million people [in Afghanistan] will require humanitarian assistance, including 12.4 million children,” UNICEF said in a statement released on December 5. “The operating space continues to shrink through increasing impediments and challenges. As the situation worsens, it is imperative that UNICEF stay and deliver.”
UNICEF said Taliban decrees and laws obstructing timely service are expected to escalate, just when a robust field presence is required. The UN agency said restrictions on women and girls are among obstacles in the delivery of aid to a huge swathe of a suffering and starving population. The Taliban measures have increased protection risks as well as humanitarian needs at the household level, UNICEF added.