The European Union has announced a donation of €15 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for combating malnutrition and improving water services in Afghanistan.
Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, expressed on the social media platform X, “It is heartbreaking to see children suffering from malnutrition.”
The EU added that this funding would benefit more than 2 million children, girls, and women across 22 provinces in Afghanistan.
According to an EU newsletter, the donation will be used by UNICEF for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition among women, adolescent girls, and children, as well as to enhance water and sanitation services in the country.
The EU’s support also enables the expansion of malnutrition treatment in health centers and day care facilities, and the hiring of more health workers in crowded health facilities.
This project also supports the construction of 40 solar-powered water systems in 40 districts.
Patricio Ostapcsuk, Director for the Middle East at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, emphasized, “With the significant impacts of climate change, reducing crop yields, combating malnutrition, and expanding water and sanitation services are essential for the people of Afghanistan.”
The 27-month program will be implemented in 22 Afghan provinces and will cover 107 million children and mothers with nutrition services.
Additionally, 80,000 people will gain access to clean drinking water, 206,000 to sanitation services, and 6,000 adolescent girls to vocational and skill training.
The EU stated, “As the children of Afghanistan continue to face numerous challenges, we count on the support of partners like the European Union to respond to the crisis and improve the health and well-being of children and their families.”
