Save the Children devastated by reports children were among those killed in Kabul airstrike

Save the Children is devastated by reports that six children were among those killed in an airstrike in the Afghan capital of Kabul yesterday. Investigations into civilian casualties following the strike are still underway.  

Athena Rayburn, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns for Save the Children Afghanistan, said:  

“We are devastated to learn that children may have been among those killed in yesterday’s airstrike in Kabul. These reports, if confirmed, are a shocking reminder that airstrikes do not discriminate between armed actors and innocent children. It is deeply saddening that children continue to pay with their lives for this brutal conflict.” 

“Repeatedly this year, children have been the victims of indiscriminate attacks by explosive weapons. There can be no justification for these assaults on children as they go about their everyday lives. We appeal to all those involved in this terrible conflict to protect civilians and children at all times and to keep them out of harm’s way.” 

Save the Children is an independent, impartial, and politically neutral organisation that has worked in Afghanistan since 1976 to deliver lifesaving services to children and their families across the country but has had to temporarily suspended services. The organisation provided health, education, child protection, nutrition, and livelihoods services, reaching over 1.6 million Afghans in 2020. 

We aim to resume our work on health, education, and child protection as soon as it’s safe to do so.