A shocking five children per day have been killed or wounded in Afghanistan for the past 14 years. This is according to Save the Children, who said that Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous countries in the world for children.

Ahead of the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, international donors were to meet on Monday. Save the Children has pleaded with donor nations to protect the future of Afghan children. The BBC reports that UN data showed that over 26 000 children were killed or maimed, in Afghanistan, from 2005 to 2019.

The BBC reports that, according to the charity organization, Afghanistan ranks among the 11 most dangerous nations for children. In 2019 alone, there were almost 900 Afghan children killed and 2 300 maimed, with more than two-thirds of those being boys. These totals were the highest among war torn nations.

Schools have reportedly been regularly attacked. Save the Children said that between 2017 and 2019, there were more than 300 attacks on schools. Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in Afghanistan, said in a  statement: “Imagine living with the constant fear that today might be the day that your child is killed in a suicide attack or an airstrike.” He added that this was the grim reality Afghan parents face.

Save the Children also called on the UK government and its allies to commit to avoiding using explosive weapons in populated areas. The BBC reports that US forces, meanwhile, in Afghanistan since since 2001, have begun withdrawing after signing a groundbreaking agreement with fighters.

Umm Muhammed Umar