Help for cleft children in Afghanistan

Our work in Afghanistan in numbers
We have been working in Afghanistan since 2010.
The result of our efforts: over 1,500 surgeries performed 2010-2023.
In 2023, we were able to provide a cleft surgery to 59 children.
Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe in Afghanistan
We have been active in Afghanistan since 2010. The security situation in the country on the Hindu Kush has been critical for many years. However, the seizure of power by the Taliban in August 2021 was another dramatic turning point for the country and its people. The country's economy and especially its vital agriculture are in crisis. Access to medical care has worsened. Many hospitals have been destroyed and there is a shortage of qualified doctors. Most aid organizations have had to stop their work.
Three of our four local surgeons are still in the country and are trying to continue to help the children, albeit in a very limited fashion.
In the pandemic year of 2021, our teams were still able to perform 80 surgeries before the change of government in August. The consequences of the assumption of power by the Taliban have been considerable, especially for the women and girls in the country. Their freedom and rights have been massively restricted, and they are no longer allowed to go to work or school.
Focus of our work in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, the focus of our work is on basic care for children with cleft lip and/or palate. 59 surgeries were a good result in 2023 considering the current political situation. For us, every child who can be given a better life by the surgery it needs for its cleft counts.

Impressions from our work in Afghanistan




Country portrait Afghanistan

Afghanistan has suffered under decades of war and political instability: high child and maternal mortality, mal- and undernutrition, Polio, violence against women and children are widespread problems. Many families in the country live in dramatic poverty. The assumption of power by the Taliban in June 2021 has not led to a marked improvement. Physical and economic insecurity burden many Afghans' daily lives.
Due to the collapse of some sectors of the economy and consequently of many public services due to non-payment of salaries and empty state coffers, the people of Afghanistan face an uncertain future. Access to education is accordingly also a challenge: 4.2 million children (60 percent girls) cannot go to school, according to UNICEF.

A new life for a child
The surgery is a key turning point in the life of a child with cleft. With your donation, you help change a child's life for the better.
Any amount helps.

Für ein neues Kinderleben
Die Operation ist ein entscheidender Wendepunkt im Leben eines Kindes mit Spaltbildung. Mit Ihrer Spende tragen Sie dazu bei, das Leben eines Kindes zum Guten zu wenden.
Jeder Betrag hilft.