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Afghans face worst-ever humanitarian crisis: UN

Muhammad Najeeb in Islamabad

The life expectancy of a displaced Afghan is only 40 years. Seventy percent of the displaced Afghans are malnourished and only 13 percent have access to drinking water.

An estimated 15,000 women die every year from pregnancy-related causes. Maternal mortality rate is 1,700 per 100,000 births, and one of every two Afghan children is malnourished.

These are among the statistics prepared by United Nations on the socio-economic indicators of the millions of Afghans displaced by decades of war.

In the wake of the American air raids in Afghanistan since October 7, the number of internally displaced people has risen from 900,000 to an estimated 1.1 million. The number could go up to 2.2 million as a result of the war.

The number of displaced people could go up to nearly 300,000 each in Kabul and Herat, and another 535,000 in northern areas.

About two million Afghans will run out of food by the year's end in the northern provinces and another four million are dependent on food elsewhere. In all, 6.1 million Afghans are vulnerable.

Children enrolment in primary schools is less than 39 percent and of girls three percent. Only seven percent of 4.4 million children have the facility of primary schools.

Half the children are stunted in height -- shorter than the average for their age. Diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections account for 41 percent infantile mortality. Another 21 percent die of vaccine-preventable diseases. Mortality rate of children aged under five years is 25.7 percent.

The US-led air raids have also led to a refugee crisis in Pakistan. Their number before the current crisis was two million. In Iran there were more than 1.5 million. An estimated 50,000-60,000 Afghans have entered Pakistan in the wake of the current crisis.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees is preparing for an exodus of up to 1.5 million Afghans across the region, planning for a possible initial influx of 300,000 into Pakistan.

In view of the sub-human living conditions, Secretary General Kofi Annan launched an appeal for $584 million to shore up the UN humanitarian efforts for Afghanistan. Of this, $268 million will go to the UNHCR and $188.405 million to the World Food Programme.

Unfortunately, the actual contributions are running far behind the immediate requirement -- only $67 million at present.

Indo-Asian News Service

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