On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced that approximately 1.5 million people in Afghanistan are living with severe disabilities.
The mission wrote in a statement today (Wednesday, 3 December) that many of these individuals were disabled due to war, and a large portion of them are children.
UNAMA added that almost a quarter of Afghan citizens (24.6%) have mild disabilities, 40% have moderate disabilities, and nearly 13.9% face severe forms of disability.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, said: ‘We ensure that persons with disabilities are considered in all our activities and projects.’
UNAMA said it respects persons with disabilities in Afghanistan and calls for an inclusive, just, and sustainable Afghanistan for all.
The United Nations declared December 3rd as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992, and since that date, people across the world have been commemorating this day.
Decades of war in Afghanistan have left millions killed, wounded, and displaced.
