26,025 Children Killed Or Disabled As A Result Of War In Afghanistan

Illustration of war in Afghanistan (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The international non-profit organization Save The Children cites data from the United Nations (UN) that states that 26,025 children have died or died since 2005 as a result of the war in Afghanistan. The NGO urged donor countries to protect the future of Afghan children ahead of an important meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

Violence has escalated in Afghanistan amid stalled peace talks and a withdrawal of US troops. Afghanistan is one of the 11 most dangerous countries in the world for children, according to Save the Children.

According to the BBC, 2019 was the worst year because it had the number of child murders. Save the Children said that there were 874 children in Afghanistan who were killed and 2,275 disabled as a result of the war.

More than two thirds of those who died were boys. They died as a result of ground fighting between pro and anti-government forces or home-made explosives in suicide and non-suicide attacks.

The report also pointed out that schools are regularly attacked in the ongoing conflict pitting the Afghan government, supported by US forces, against the Taliban and other insurgents. Save the Children said that between 2017 and 2019 there were more than 300 attacks on schools.

"Imagine living with constant fear that today might be the day your child is killed in a suicide attack or air strike. This is a grim reality for tens of thousands of Afghan parents whose children have been killed or injured," said Chris Nyamandi, Director of Save the Children in Afghanistan, in a statement.

In the run-up to the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, an international meeting to take place in Geneva, the charity urged donor countries to safeguard the future of Afghan children with increased humanitarian funding. Nyamandi also called on the British government to commit and its allies to avoid using explosive weapons in populated areas.

Since 2001

US troops have been in the country since 2001 in an operation to overthrow the Taliban after the deadly 9/11 attacks on New York. The Taliban were ousted from power but then regrouped and now control more.

In February, the US began withdrawing its troops after signing a landmark agreement with the rebels. But violence in the country has escalated again as the Taliban stepped up its attacks amid stalled negotiations with the Afghan government.

Over the weekend, deadly rocket attacks in Kabul killed at least eight people and injured more than 30. Many observers have warned that the Afghan army is not strong enough to fight the insurgency alone after foreign troops have withdrawn.

But last week the US announced further troop withdrawals. The US said it would withdraw 2,000 troops from Afghanistan by mid-January, leaving about 2,500 troops in the country.