PMNCH Statement on Afghanistan

13 September 2021
Statement
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PMNCH, the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being, expresses intense concern about the situation in Afghanistan.

Unless the international community takes decisive action immediately, this is only the beginning of a humanitarian crisis that will last for years.

PMNCH calls upon the global community to commit to the urgent and unwavering protection of women, children and adolescents by:

  1. Increasing financing for humanitarian assistance, including through emergency pooled funds to those in need and vulnerable to violence and exploitation;
  2. Exploring the possibilities to maintain development assistance through new funding channels to safeguard the health gains of the last decade;
  3. Immediately reinstating COVID-19 response and recovery plans
  4.  Strengthening global coalitions, including those with the private sector, to advocate at the highest possible level for the people of Afghanistan;
  5. Providing protection and resources to health professionals and aid workers, including access to essential medicines, vaccines, health commodities, equipment, and medical supplies;
  6. Implementing a gender-specific approach to all health policy and programming.

Afghanistan has made important commitments to the health and well-being of Afghan women, children, and adolescents. These include the commitment pledged by Afghanistan in December 2020 to the PMNCH COVID-19 Call to Action[1]. It committed funding of US$176.6 million by 2023 to combat the challenges of the pandemic for women, children, and adolescents and to improve their health and well-being overall. Afghanistan also ringfenced US$695 million to ensure continued access to reproductive health services.

 Women, children and adolescents make up most of Afghanistan’s refugees and internally displaced people. They must be able to live free from persecution, have unfettered access to health and education, and realize their full economic, social, and political rights if Afghanistan itself is to recover and thrive.

PMNCH will mobilize the strength of its 1,200 member-organizations across 10 constituency groups to promote these rights as we stand in solidarity with all citizens of Afghanistan in this crucial hour of need.

[1] Gov of Afghanistan COVID-10 commitment

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