UN condemns deadly suicide attack at mosque in southern Afghanistan

The onslaught marked the 2nd consecutive week that a Shia mosque successful the state has been targeted, pursuing a blast past Friday successful the northeastern metropolis of Kunduz, which near much than 100 worshippers dead. 

Strong condemnation 

“Terrorism continues successful Afghanistan”, the UN ngo successful the country, UNAMA, said successful a station connected Twitter.  “(the) UN condemns latest atrocity targeting a spiritual instauration and worshippers. Those liable request to beryllium held to account.” 

The President of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, besides powerfully condemned the attack. 

Mr. Shaheed expressed his profound condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy betterment to each of those who were injured. 

The blast occurred against the backdrop of the deepening and multifaceted situation successful Afghanistan.  

Humanitarian needs increasing 

The UN continues to advocator for greater planetary enactment for the country, wherever boys and girls “are paying the highest price”, according to Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director astatine the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. 

“We expect that the humanitarian needs of children and women volition summation implicit the coming months, amidst the terrible drought and consequent h2o scarcity, an uncertain information environment, continuous displacement, the devastating socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the onset of winter,” helium said, speaking successful New York connected Friday. 

Mr. Abdi was successful Afghanistan past week, wherever helium saw first-hand however children are bearing the impacts of a tattered system and collapsing wellness system. 

Medical supplies are moving dangerously low, and outbreaks of measles and acute watery diarrhoea are connected the rise.  

Even earlier the Taliban takeover successful August, astatine slightest 10 cardinal Afghan children were successful request of humanitarian assistance.  He warned that astatine slightest 1 cardinal are astatine hazard of dying from terrible acute malnutrition if they bash not person attraction immediately. 

“I visited the Children's Hospital successful Kabul and was shocked to spot however packed it was with malnourished children, immoderate of them babies,” helium said.   

Prioritize girls’ education 

The UNICEF authoritative met with the de facto authorities wherever helium enactment girls’ acquisition apical of the agenda.  Millions of Afghan girls of secondary schoolhouse property person yet to instrumentality to the classroom.   

“I got affirmations of the commitments that the Taliban made successful presumption of allowing each girls to spell to school,” helium said.  “Girls up to people six tin spell to schoolhouse now.” 

There are much than 30 provinces successful Afghanistan and Mr. Abdi reported that it is lone successful five, wherever girls tin spell to secondary school, “but we are asking that girls everyplace spell to school.”   

The Taliban authorities are processing a model connected the issue, which is expected successful the adjacent 2 months, helium said.  The model volition besides code concerns by much blimpish elements successful nine astir girls’ education, specified arsenic keeping girls abstracted from boys and allowing lone women to thatch them. 

“Now interestingly, the authorities that I met said that erstwhile they enactment successful spot the model that they're moving on, (it) volition person much parents to nonstop their girls to school, truthful that has to beryllium seen,” helium said. 

Step up support 

UNICEF has been successful Afghanistan for much than 60 years.  The bureau fears that acquisition gains made implicit the past 2 decades could beryllium rolled back. 

Since 2001, schoolhouse enrollment jumped from 1 cardinal to 10 cardinal done to the mediate of this year, including 4 cardinal girls, portion the fig of schools besides tripled, from 6,000 to 18,000 successful the past decade.  Yet, 4.2 cardinal Afghan children are retired of school, 2.6 cardinal girls of them girls.   

UNICEF is besides present accessing much areas of the state that were antecedently nether Taliban control.  Some women unit are backmost astatine work, and Mr Abdi expects they volition each return. 

The UN bureau is scaling up its programmes, but needs support, and helium urged the de facto authorities, the planetary community, humanitarian organizations and different stakeholders, to measurement up more.