The most vulnerable and innocent group of the society — children — is not safe from the scourge of the conflict in Afghanistan. The imposed war not only deprives Afghan children of their parents, the most precious gift of God to the humankind, but also takes their lives and maims them for life. A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that an average of nine to ten children are killed or maimed on a daily basis in Afghanistan. The report reveals that as many as 6,500 Afghan children have been killed and 15,000 others wounded in the conflict between 2009 and 2018. According to UN statistics, 2018 saw an 11 percent increase in the casualties of children, while 3.7 million school-aged children are out of school despite billions of dollars in aid poured into the country.
The high rate of casualties among Afghan children is heartrending. Apart from being born in this country, Afghan children have nothing to do with the ongoing conflict, which orphans them and therefore make their future full of challenges and problems at one hand, and takes their lives on the other hand. Though the killing of people who have no connection to the war is on no account justifiable, the harm inflicted on children owning to the conflict is extremely disturbing.
The protection of children as the future of the country is a collective responsibility. All parties to the conflict, especially Afghans who claim to be representing the masses, must pay undivided attention to the lives of children at all times. They should strictly avoid all military actions that are most likely to jeopardize innocent lives. Child protection groups also need to raise their voice for protection of Afghan children’s rights. The United Nations in particular should not just count the deaths of children; it has to take immediate actions to press the warring sides to ensure their protection. Other child rights groups should also fulfill their responsibility by providing Afghan children an environment free of fear and violence to live in. Afghan families also have to utilize all their resources to create a better future for their children.