Almost 10 Million Children Going Hungry in Afghanistan as Food Aid Alone Fails to Meet the Tidal Wave of Need, Save the Children Says

May 12, 2022 | Business

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – WEBWIRE –



 9.6 million children in Afghanistan are going hungry every day due to a dire combination of economic collapse, the impacts of the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing drought, new figures released today show. Immediate food assistance is needed to save lives in the short term, but aid alone is not enough to tackle the country’s worst hunger crisis on record, Save the Children said. 


The figures[i] show that despite a significant amount of food aid provided to families in recent months, 19.7 million children and adults – almost 50% of the population – are still going hungry and need urgent support to survive. From March to May alone, 20,000 people were pushed into famine.


When the Taliban took control in August last year, the international community responded largely by freezing assets and suspending development assistance to mitigate the risk of indirectly providing funds to the de-facto Taliban administration. 


Afghan children are now bearing the brunt of the international community’s policies, which have starved the country of cash, and sent the economy into a downward spiral. As a result, poverty, unemployment, and food prices have dramatically increased, forcing parents to take desperate measures to feed their children. 


Save the Children’s Director of Advocacy, Communications, and Media, Athena Rayburn, said: 


“Every single day, our frontline health workers are treating children who are wasting away in front of our eyes because they’re only eating bread once a day –and those are the lucky ones. Children in Afghanistan have never known a life without conflict, and if action is not taken soon, they will not know a world without gnawing hunger and empty stomachs. Now is not the time for the world to turn its backs on Afghanistan’s children.


”Although 18.9 million children and adults are projected to need food aid from June to November this year, there is only enough funding to provide support for 3.2 million people. With the world’s attention diverted to Ukraine, there is waning hope of addressing this crisis in time. Each day that passes without the funds needed sees more children lose their lives to preventable causes. 


“The international community must address both the gap in funds and Afghanistan’s economic collapse by identifying ways to increase liquidity in the country’s economy. Until the economic crisis is addressed; and rising poverty stemmed, children will continue to face catastrophic levels of hunger. Aid alone cannot save their lives.”


Maryam*, 26, has five children and lives in Faryab Province in Afghanistan, where many families only have one meal a day, and the public hospitals are overflowing with children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Maryam’s husband is in Iran trying to find work so he can send money back to his family to help them survive. 


“I am worried about my children,” Maryam told Save the Children. “I can only borrow cash and buy them food, but mostly I don’t have sufficient food for them. Sometimes we have food to eat, and some days we don’t.”


Maryam recently borrowed a large sum of money to take her baby Khal Mirza*, who has severe acute malnutrition, to the hospital. Once he was discharged from the hospital, Maryam took him to one of Save the Children’s mobile health clinics, which provide services in her community. 


Following treatment with Save the Children’s doctors, Khal Mirza is thankfully improving. But, many severely malnourished children are not so lucky. With Afghanistan’s healthcare system desperately lacking resources and staff, many children cannot access the care they need to survive. A Save the Children assessment also found that more than 50 percent of surveyed families couldn’t access healthcare, mainly because they didn’t have the money to pay for the services. 


The crisis in Afghanistan comes at a time when the world is facing its biggest hunger crisis this century, with an estimated 44 million children and adults on the brink of starvation across the globe.


*Names have been changed


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 The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) figures for Afghanistan, March-May 2022.


[i]Save the Children

 believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. 

IMAGE CAPTION:


“Khal Mirza* has been suffering from severe acute malnutrition and needed medical treatment to survive after his mother was unable to feed him breastmilk. Save the Children’s Mobile Health Teams provided further treatment in his mother’s village after he was discharged from the hospital.”

Save the Children staff identified among the dead after burnt bodies found in Myanmar

Dec 29, 2021 | Business



 It is with profound sadness that we are confirming today that two members of Save the Children’s staff were among at least 35 people, including women and children, who were killed on Friday 24th December in an attack by the Myanmar military in Kayah State, in the east of the country.


The two staff were both new fathers who were passionate about educating children. One was 32, with a 10-month-old son, and had worked at Save the Children for two years, training teachers. The other, 28, with a three-month-old daughter, joined the charity six years ago. They are not being identified for security reasons.


The men were on their way back to their office after working on a humanitarian response in a nearby community when they were caught up in the attack. The military forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed many and burnt the bodies.


Inger Ashing, Chief Executive of Save the Children, said:


“This news is absolutely horrifying. Violence against innocent civilians including aid workers is intolerable, and this senseless attack is a breach of International Humanitarian Law. We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar.


Investigations into the nature of the incident are continuing. We are doing everything we can to ensure all our staff and the families of the victims get the support they need after of this devastating incident. This is not an isolated event. The people of Myanmar continue to be targeted with increasing violence and these events demand an immediate response.


The UN Security Council must convene as soon as possible to set out the steps they will take to hold those responsible to account. Member states should impose an arms embargo, including a focus on limiting the airstrikes seen over recent days. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) must also convene an urgent meeting to review and action the ‘Five Point Consensus’ agreed in April which calls for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and for the ASEAN Special Envoy to help mediate a diplomatic solution. These steps are urgently required to protect children and humanitarian aid workers.


Our organisation is in a state of grief for two beloved, irreplaceable colleagues whose deaths represent a loss for the children of Kayah and Myanmar.”


Save the Children has been working in Myanmar since 1995, providing life-saving healthcare, food, education and child protection programmes through more than 50 partners and 900 staff across the country. We have temporarily suspended our operations in Kayah, Chin, and parts of Magway and Kayin following this incident. However, we remain fully committed to helping the most vulnerable children in Myanmar, especially during this time of conflict and crisis.


Save the Children exists to help every child reach their full potential. In the UK and around the world, we make sure children stay safe, healthy and keep learning, so they can become who they want to be.


This email was sent from Save the Children Fund, a registered charity in England and Wales (213890), Scotland (SC039570), Isle of Man (No. 199) and a registered company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (178159), or from Save the Children (Sales) Ltd, a registered company in England and Wales (875945). For information about how we collect, use and store personal data, go to http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/privacy

Instill in children the love of nature with Terrie Stadler’s book “Who’s Knocking at My Door?”

Jul 30, 2021 | Business

Answer the call of the animals in Terrie Stadler’s “Who’s Knocking at My Door?”

“Who’s Knocking at My Door?” (ReadersMagnet; 2021) by Terrie Stadler is a children’s book about the various birds and water life living around a pond in a rural setting. It is a “Country Pond Tale,” revolving around a pond that teems with aquatic life, such as blue tilapia, minnows, and turtles. 

“This story is based on an actual event when an unsuspecting visitor came to our door,” the author said about the inspiration for “Who’s Knocking at My Door?” “Based on this incident I decided to write a story about this most unusual experience.

“This is all happening in South Florida and there is a true and unusual ending concerning one of those animals which actually inspired the writing of this book. An unsuspecting visitor came to our door. This was a most unbelievable experience. It seemed like quite an opportunity to introduce a whimsical, imaginable story that children can relate to from the perspective of nature and what is possible.” 

Stadler said her book “Who’s Knocking at My Door?” helps foster children’s love of nature and appreciation of animals, regardless of size. “It tells how small animals can choose to relate to us and maybe invite us into their lives,” said Stadler. “We can also show how these animals can talk to us while bringing messages to their friends.” This is also an illustrated book that aims to spark children’s curiosity about nature as children can explore their own imagination in such settings.

Order Terrie Stadler’s book “Who’s Knocking at My Door?” today on Amazon. 

Who’s Knocking at My Door?
Author | Terrie Stadler
Published date |
Publisher | ReadersMagnet
Book retail price |

Author Bio

After working some 36 years in the electronics industry, Terrie decided to retire from her position as an electrical drafter and end her career there in West Palm Beach, Florida. She then decided to move across the state to Fort Myers and be closer to her daughter and their family.
 

BBC’s Children In Need and Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day set to broadcast live from Salford from 2021

Jul 24, 2021 | Business

This exciting move marks the beginning of a new chapter for these cherished TV landmarks.” — Rachel Ashdown, Commissioning Editor, BBC

BBC One and BBC Studios are delighted to announce that Salford will be the new home for the BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief nights of TV.

These special events, broadcast live on BBC One and made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, are two of the biggest nights in the BBC’s calendar, bringing viewers jam-packed evenings of entertainment with exciting line-ups of familiar faces coming together to help raise money for BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.

BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s UK corporate charity that exists to change the lives of children and young people across the UK and Comic Relief is a major UK charity with a vision of a just world, free from poverty, with both of these charity appeals culminating in a live TV broadcast on BBC One. The move of these major shows to Salford will also further enhance the BBC’s commitment to the nations and regions, as outlined in the proposals set out by the Director General in the BBC’s blueprint for the future entitled The BBC Across the UK https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/across-the-uk

Beginning in November with BBC Children in Need, now in its 41st year, the live show will come from the biggest multi-camera purpose built TV studio in the UK, making it the perfect place to broadcast a night of unmissable entertainment, fun and fundraising. Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day broadcast will also come from Salford where the Sport Relief show has broadcast from for several years.

Salford is already home to some of the biggest and best known programmes and radio stations from the BBC including A Question of Sport, North West Tonight, Dragons’ Den, BBC Radio 5 Live, Football Focus, Match of the Day, BBC Radio Manchester, University Challenge, BBC Breakfast and Blue Peter, with BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day now also making Salford their new permanent production base and broadcast location.

Rachel Ashdown, Commissioning Editor at the BBC says: “This exciting move marks the beginning of a new chapter for these cherished TV landmarks. Plans are already underway for November’s BBC Children in Need Night of TV which will bring the usual array of stars and surprises from its new home as people come together for BBC Children In Need.”

Suzy Lamb, Managing Director BBC Studios Entertainment says: “The fantastic production expertise we have in the North is second to none and it’s exciting to think we’re going to grow this skillset by making Salford the home of these two incredibly important titles. The team there cannot wait to get going and plan for what I know will be two truly memorable nights every year.”

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive BBC Children in Need says: “We are hugely excited to be bringing the BBC Children in Need Appeal show to Pudsey HQ in Media City, Salford. The past year has left lasting effects on the lives of children and young people facing disadvantage and the 2021 Appeal show will be a chance for us to come together as a nation and demonstrate that we will always be here for the children and young people across the UK that need us most. There will be much laughter, joy and entertainment, but above all, there will an abundance of kindness and hope.”

Samir Patel, Chief Executive of Comic Relief added: “We can’t wait to film from Salford next March. The support we get from the public all around the country but particularly in the North is simply outstanding. To get back in a live studio with a full crew and studio audience at our new ‘home’ will be a treat – roll on next March!”

More exciting details about this year’s BBC Children in Need campaign will be announced in due course, with the next night of TV taking place on Friday 19 November 2021.

-ENDS-

About BBC Studios Productions:

BBC Studios Productions was the UK’s most commissioned creator of new content in the last financial year, producing for a broad range of broadcasters and services including Apple, Netflix, NBC Universal, Discovery, Channel 4 and Sky as well as the BBC. Despite the challenges of Covid, BBC Studios Productions created 1352 hours of content and 232 titles in the last financial year, setting the standards for Covid-safe productions. Recent creative successes include 5 BAFTA award wins for Springwatch, Inside No. 9, This Country and Casualty and The Surgeon’s Cut (the latter produced for Netflix), an Emmy nomination for The Year Earth Changed (produced for Apple) and critical acclaim for Time and A Life in Ten Pictures (produced for BBC One and BBC Two).

BBC Studios | Website | Press Office | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram |

About BBC Children in Need:

BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential. The charity will realise this vision by supporting, promoting and publicising work that addresses the challenges that children and young people face and work that builds their skills and resilience.

BBC Children in Need is currently supporting over 2,500 local charities and projects in communities across the UK that are helping children and young people facing a range of disadvantages such as living in poverty, being disabled or ill, or experiencing distress, neglect or trauma.

Further information on BBC Children in Need can be found at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

About Comic Relief

Comic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives. Through humour and stories of hope, we’ve shown that people can make a massive difference. We fund hundreds of amazing organisations who are working on the ground to support the most vulnerable people and communities in society including many of those hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or who have been forced to flee their homes, women and families at risk of domestic abuse and those struggling with existing or new mental health problems.

For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please www.comicrelief.com

Comic Relief, which is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)