UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, has recently announced that 90% of maternal deaths in Afghanistan are preventable with simple measures. Today (Thursday, April 11), the organization reposted a message from Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, on its X account, emphasizing that UNICEF is only able to support 60% of health facilities. The United Nations Children's Fund has warned that a reduction in aid could undermine its ability to support pregnant women. Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Afghanistan, also warned about the consequences of reduced aid, stating: "Women who travel three hours by bicycle to give birth in hospitals, landmines that remain uncleared, infants who die." This comes as the United States, as the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, has cut all its programs, including support for mothers and infants. The cessation of U.S. humanitarian aid has led many international organizations to halt their operations in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Afghanistan has recently projected that the interim government's restrictions on women and girls could result in approximately $920 million in losses by 2026. In a statement released today (Wednesday, April 30), the UNDP warned that Afghanistan is increasingly sinking into a socio-economic crisis. The UNDP further emphasized that this crisis has exacerbated social inequalities, particularly worsening the situation for women and girls. The organization added that Afghanistan’s economy is heavily dependent on imports and international aid. According to the report, 75% of Afghanistan’s population faced food insecurity in 2024, marking a six percent increase compared to 2023. The report stated: “90% of Afghan households, having lost productive assets, livelihoods, jobs, and income opportunities, have been forced to reduce their daily consumption.” It is worth noting that since the interim government regained control in Afghanistan, international organizations have consistently warned about the worsening economic conditions of citizens and the increasing restrictions on women.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced that significant efforts have been made to reduce malaria in Afghanistan, but these achievements are at risk. The organization made this statement on its X account in observance of World Malaria Day, emphasizing its commitment to fighting malaria in Afghanistan with a fair approach and providing healthcare services to vulnerable groups, especially migrants, pregnant women, and children. The WHO stressed the need for investment to eliminate malaria in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Edwin Sinizal Salvador, the WHO representative in Afghanistan, stated, "Afghanistan has made significant efforts to reduce malaria, but these achievements are at risk. We must reinvest in effective tools and resume collective action." He added that the time to act is now to eradicate malaria once and for all. It is worth mentioning that the World Health Organization has designated April 25 as World Malaria Day. The WHO had previously warned that approximately 77% of Afghanistan's population is at risk of contracting malaria. According to the organization's statistics, in 2023, 180,718 cases of malaria have been reported in Afghanistan. Malaria is transmitted to humans through the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes, and its main symptoms include fever, chills, and body weakness. To prevent contracting this disease, the use of mosquito nets and wearing protective clothing are recommended. Following the caretaker government's directive prohibiting women from working in NGOs and organizations affiliated with the United Nations, access to healthcare services in Afghanistan has become more restricted.

The Tehran Education Department has recently announced that migrant students holding census papers and return documents to Afghanistan will not be able to enroll for the 1404 academic year. Iranian media reported that all Afghan students with census papers have been deprived of education in the schools of the Islamic Republic. Yousef Baharlu, the director general of education for the districts of Tehran, has instructed school officials to refrain from enrolling migrant students who possess census papers and exit documents. He further requested that school administrators do not refer the parents of these students to the education department. Reports indicate that around two million Afghan migrants in Iran hold census papers. Nader Yarahmadi, head of the Iranian Center for Migrant Affairs, previously announced that 610,317 migrant students are currently receiving education in the schools of this country. However, this Iranian official did not clarify how many of these students possess census papers and return documents to Afghanistan. It should be noted that many Afghan students in Iran have been deprived of continuing their education. This comes at a time when many Afghan families have migrated to Iran for their children’s education following the current government's ban on girls' education in Afghanistan. It is worth mentioning that Iran has been hosting millions of Afghans for years. In recent months, this country has begun the process of forcibly deporting Afghan citizens. Following the takeover of the current government in August 2021, a number of Afghan citizens, including protesting women, women's rights activists, former military personnel, and journalists, migrated to various countries, including Iran.

Edwin Senniza Salvador, the head of the World Health Organization for Afghanistan, stated that the number of individuals lacking access to healthcare services in the country has doubled. Mr. Salvador made these remarks in an interview with "Deutsche Welle" and mentioned that due to the cessation of aid from the United States, over ten percent of Afghan citizens will completely lose access to healthcare services by the end of the year. He emphasized, "We are now talking about three million people who have lost access to healthcare services, compared to 1.9 million in March. This is almost double." Additionally, Kubi Ritiweld, the head of Action Against Hunger, warned that if malnourished children across Afghanistan are not treated, their risk of death is very high. He added, "No child should die due to malnutrition." Meanwhile, the World Food Program reports that Afghanistan is facing the worst malnutrition crisis in its history and is witnessing an unprecedented emergency regarding malnutrition among children. The organization has warned that this year, three and a half million children will face malnutrition.

German media reports that Nazira Khairzad, a former player of the Afghan women's national football team, is facing the risk of deportation to Italy. Deutsche Welle has reported that this player was forced to leave Afghanistan due to security threats from the Taliban government and is now facing deportation threats in Germany. The report states that due to European Union policies, Germany has requested her return to Italy and is also refusing to accept new refugees. Deutsche Welle quoted Elke Gabsa, the lawyer for Nazira Khairzad's family, stating that this situation could constitute a violation of human rights and urged the courts to address her case so that her family does not become separated. It is worth mentioning that following the return of the Taliban government, thousands of Afghan citizens were forced to leave the country due to security threats and fear of reprisals.

The International Save the Children Fund reports that nearly 50,000 children have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan in just the first 16 days of April this year. In a report released on Friday, April 19, the organization warned that children are at risk of being separated from their families upon arrival in Afghanistan. With the intensification of the deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, children make up a large portion of returnees. Save the Children emphasized that by April 16, over 84,000 Afghans had returned from Pakistan, with children accounting for 58% of that number. The report added that around one-fifth of these children are under the age of five. Previously, a deputy from Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior also confirmed that from the beginning of April until now, in less than three weeks, approximately 84,869 Afghans have been deported from the country. Save the Children stated that since September 2023, the total number of Afghan children deported from Pakistan has reached around 545,000. The report also noted that children returning to Afghanistan are highly vulnerable to infectious diseases, especially diarrhea and respiratory infections. Omar, a 30-year-old father of five children—all born and raised in Pakistan—recently returned to Afghanistan. He shared his experience with Save the Children: “I still can’t believe what happened. I lost everything overnight. When I arrived in Afghanistan, I was empty-handed. The only things I could bring were the kids’ clothes, a few thin blankets, and some basic kitchen utensils.” The report also highlighted findings from a 2024 survey conducted by Save the Children, in which nearly half of the families returning from Pakistan said they could not find work. 81% of respondents said they lacked the skills needed to secure employment. The survey further revealed that two-thirds of the children who have returned to Afghanistan have not yet enrolled in school, with most saying they do not have the required documentation for registration. Save the Children stated: “Many of these children were born in Pakistan. Afghanistan is not a place they consider home. The return of such a large population is putting additional pressure on resources that are already severely strained.”

Following the promise of funding for the exiled Afghanistan women's cricket team by the International Cricket Council (ICC), several players have welcomed this announcement, describing it as "a ray of hope" for recognition and an opportunity to participate on international stages. Reuters reported, citing Nahida Sapan, a member of the exiled Afghanistan women's cricket team, who stated, "We feel valued and inspired. This news has given us a lot of confidence about the future. Some of the girls in the team were crying because we had worked so hard." She expressed her appreciation for the support from the ICC. She emphasized that none of the male players from the Afghanistan national cricket team have contacted them to congratulate them on this financial promise; however, she found this understandable given the political situation in the country. This Afghanistan national team player added, "The situation is difficult. We are aware of the situation in Afghanistan and the conditions of cricket there. The interim government does not want male players to support the women's cricket team. If such support occurs, it may lead to the suspension of the men's team's games as well." It is noteworthy that the ICC recently announced it would establish a special working group to support the Afghan women's cricket team, which will include creating a fund and training programs. In its statement, the ICC mentioned that with the establishment of this working group, the exiled Afghanistan women's cricket team can continue on their sporting path. Currently, 25 female players who were selected for training with the Afghanistan cricket team in 2020 are living in exile in Australia following the current government's takeover of Afghanistan. This comes as the current government has declared women's sports null and void in its initial actions and has closed all sports facilities.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund for Afghanistan, has announced that it is facing a severe shortage of life-saving therapeutic foods (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods) due to a reduction in global funding. Tajuddin Owyala, head of UNICEF's office in Afghanistan, reported today (Thursday, April 17) on his X account that this year, 3.5 million children under five years old in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition, with 1.5 million of them at risk of acute and severe malnutrition. The United Nations Children's Fund for Afghanistan emphasized that immediate support is essential to save the lives of these children. Previously, the World Food Programme also stated that 3.5 million children in Afghanistan would suffer from malnutrition this year, meaning that one child will fall into malnutrition every ten seconds. Mutinta Chimuuka, a representative of the World Food Programme, noted that Afghanistan is currently facing the worst child malnutrition crisis in its history. The World Food Programme has also complained about budget shortages and stated that with adequate funding, it is possible to halt the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan. It is worth mentioning that malnutrition is a serious crisis in Afghanistan, especially among children, with issues such as poverty and lack of access to adequate health and nutrition services hindering the provision of essential treatments and prevention of this disease. OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has predicted that the number of malnourished children in Afghanistan will reach 3.5 million by 2025. According to United Nations reports, this figure has been around 3 million children under five over the past five years.