The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned in a new report that the situation of children in Afghanistan’s earthquake-affected regions has deteriorated alarmingly.

On Friday, September 12, UNICEF announced that in the recent deadly earthquakes in the eastern provinces, at least 1,172 children lost their lives.

According to the report, around 300 children have lost one or both parents, leaving them under immense psychological, social, and economic pressure.

The report further highlights that more than 263,000 children have been directly affected by the earthquakes. Girls, in particular, face heightened risks of child marriage, school dropout, malnutrition, and gender-based violence.

Expressing grave concern over the living conditions of children in Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar, UNICEF stressed that many families have lost their homes and are now left without shelter, food, health services, or psychosocial support. With winter approaching, their situation is becoming increasingly dire.

UNICEF has launched an appeal for $22 million in humanitarian assistance over the next six months to provide urgent, life-saving services to 400,000 people, including 212,000 children.