May 9 and the world witnesses yet another senseless act of violence, against children.

A car bomb was detonated outside of a high school in Kabul, Afghanistan. Officials report 68 people have been killed, many of them school girls aged between 11 and 15.

World Vision Afghanistan’s National Director Asuntha Charles stated...

“Afghanistan children are at a breaking point.

This inhumane act took the lives of innocent young people and, has plunged many families into utter sorrow and devastation. When a child goes to school, they hope to learn, play, grow and live to see their future, where they can play a role in making a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities. This is their right.

Yesterday this right was taken away.

Children’s safety and protection must be prioritised by all duty bearers. World Vision condemns the deliberate targeting of girls in school, a place where they should feel safe to learn, play, grow and create a chance for a better future. World Vision calls for all parties to work towards a peaceful solution to protect the future of the children of Afghanistan.”

Asuntha Charles, National Director, World Vision Afghanistan meets with Internally Displaced People at a camp near Herat, Afghanistan. Here, young girls recount their hopes for education, a safe home and a future.

Against a backdrop of political and cultural complexities, World Vision’s work continues. Despite the danger, every year over 488,600 Afghan children and adults benefited from our programmes in 2020.

Specifically, our Raw Hope project focuses on education, well-being classes, psycho-social support for children and the vital work of child protection and awareness programs.

In collaboration with elders and faith leaders, child protection programs address gender-based violence including child marriage and advocate for the rights of all, especially women and children to survive, recover and build a safe future.

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Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a primarily agricultural country in Central Asia, producing some of the world's best pomegranates, grapes and sweet melons. The country has been in an ongoing conflict since 2001, a radical political group has waged all out war against the government and taken control of many parts of the country.

In Afghanistan our projects focus on community building programmes. Their success relies heavily on collaboration with local community and faith leaders. Sensitively administered with respect for local culture and beliefs the programme currently facilitates community awareness sessions for men regarding child marriage and rights of women. We are also providing sessions for women and girls, to ensure they know their worth, feel safe in their community and understand their rights in relation to violence against women and child marriage.

  • Hundreds of thousands of innocent have been killed in the ongoing conflict, and cities have been left in ruins
  • The country experienced a devastating drought in 2019 which destroyed all the crops and 60% of the livestock in Western Afghanistan. The drought drove over 250,000 people from their homes to seek aid, but even the humanitarian camps they came to have run out of food by now. Many parents consider selling their daughters into early marriage to feed the family
One in three

Afghani girls are married before they turn 18.

More than 10%

of registered refugees in the world today are from Afghanistan