LONDON, 15 February  - Today, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced that the UK will co-host a pledging summit with the UN next month to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Gwen Hines, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK, said: “We welcome today’s announcement that the UK will co-host an upcoming United Nations virtual pledging summit. The situation in Afghanistan continues to be horrific, with many children and their families succumbing to illness and starvation.

“A third of families have lost their entire household income since August. Our teams are treating frighteningly ill children who have eaten nothing but bread for months. We are doing everything we can to get them the help they need, but we’re also seeing parents make impossible decisions and painful sacrifices to feed their children.

“It’s crucial that the pledging summit is held as soon as possible to avert more tragedy and for the UK to fund its fair share of the $4.4 billion the UN desperately needs. The time is now for world leaders to find a way to unlock vital funds and unfreeze financial assets to prevent the crisis from spiralling any further.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Save the Children has been working in Afghanistan since 1976. The charity is providing emergency treatment for malnutrition, cash for families to buy food and other essentials, blankets, warm clothes and shoes for families facing the extreme winter and shelter materials, hygiene kits and kitchen supplies for those forced to leave their homes. They are also providing primary, newborn and maternal health services.

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Our media out of hours contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk