The 27 fatalities were recorded across three provinces – Kandahar, Khost, and Paktia. Some 136 children were also injured in these areas
By Ivy Maloy
At least 27 children have been killed in Afghanistan amid fierce fighting between the Taliban and the government forces before the Taliban took full control of the capital, Kabul.
The UN children’s agency Unicef said it was shocked by the “rapid escalation of grave violations against children”. The Taliban have been making major advances across the country as foreign troops withdraw, taking six regional capitals since Friday.
They have rejected international calls for a ceasefire. More than 1,000 civilians have been killed as a result of the conflict in the past month. In a statement on Monday, Unicef said the atrocities being committed against children were growing “higher by the day”.
The 27 fatalities were recorded across three provinces – Kandahar, Khost, and Paktia. Some 136 children were also injured in these areas over the past three days, Unicef said. A recent report by the U.N states that more than 550 children were killed and an estimated 1400 maimed this year alone.
U.N. Children’s Fund chief of field operations and emergency, Mustapha Ben Messaoud, said,“as we speak, our prediction for 2021 are one child out of two will be severely malnourished. There are 18 million Afghans that are in need of humanitarian assistance. Half of them are children.”
UNICEF is becoming increasingly concerned about the rise in grave violations, especially the recruitment of children by armed groups and is calling for help towards women and children who are paying the heaviest price in this violent, turbulent society.
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