Breaking Point- COVID-19 and the Child Protection Crisis in Afghanistan

COVID-19 in Afghanistan is having a catastrophic impact on millions of vulnerable families. Even before the pandemic emerged, 93 percent of Afghan households survived on less than US$ 2 per day so the vast majority of families have virtually no capacity to absorb the economic shock of COVID-19 and the resulting loss of livelihoods.  BREAKING POINT: COVID-19 and the Child Protection Crisis in Afghanistan uses findings from The Assessment of Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Most Vulnerable Families of Afghanistan,  plus a A Mixed Method Study looking at How a Global Pandemic is Changing the Lives of Children in Afghanistan

Key findings demonstrate that due to the negative impact of the outbreak, the vulnerability of the households further increased and already existing dangerous coping strategies such as child labor, child marriage and decrease of food consumption have been worsened by financial insecurity for families and losses of household income.

The recommendations call on donors to fund and support sustainable livelihood solutions to reduce negative coping mechanisms for children, including child labor and forced and early marriage.