The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that one in four Afghan children between the ages of 5 and 17 suffers from anxiety, while one in seven struggles with depression.
Alice James, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks Wednesday during a workshop in Kabul focused on child and adolescent mental health. She said Afghanistan’s youth face a growing mental health crisis that demands urgent national attention.
“Every child has the right to care, compassion, and hope,” James said, calling for the development of a national mental health strategy for children and adolescents.
The workshop, organized by UNICEF and Afghan health officials, examined the psychological impact of economic hardship, instability, and social restrictions on Afghanistan’s younger generation and explored ways to improve access to mental health services.
UNICEF said years of conflict, poverty, and social repression—including restrictions on girls’ education and movement—have had a profound effect on children’s well-being.
James added that a national mental health program could help provide broader support to children and adolescents and reduce the long-term psychological toll on Afghan society.
According to UNICEF, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most challenging places to grow up, with millions of children facing poverty, malnutrition, and limited access to education and health care. Mental health, the agency warned, is becoming an increasingly urgent but often overlooked part of that crisis.
