In photos: Children’s lives devastated by Afganistan’s endless conflict

Award-winning war photographer Andrew Quilty travelled with Save the Children across Afghanistan last month, capturing the stories of children whose lives have been devastated by the endless conflict in the country.

The images tell the stories of loss and sadness, but also children’s resilience and determination to rebuild their lives.

Children describe the trauma of losing loved ones, physical injuries from unexploded ordinance and having to flee their homes because of the fighting.

Violence and bloodshed remain an almost daily occurrence in the country. Statistics released by the United Nations show that 2018 was the deadliest for children in the past 10 years: 927 young lives were lost, the highest ever recorded in a single year.

More than 20,000 children have been killed or injured by conflict in the past decade, and many more have had their futures snatched away by the fighting by losing loved ones in airstrikes and suicide attacks.

An estimated 3.7 million remain out of school, millions have been displaced, live in poverty and are cut off from accessing essential services including health and education.

Save the Children’s main campaign calls for the government to create a new “Protection of Civilians Strategy” that puts children front and centre, and commits the UK to saving lives, alleviating suffering, and protecting human dignity.

You can join the campaign here