Since 24 February when Russia invaded Ukraine, all the news media have been concentrating on the war and have forgotten the unpardonable atrocity by the US and UK in Afghanistan.   

The United States Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the 20-year long war in Afghanistan. The US and UK have been fighting the Afghans for 20 years.

As a result, 47.3% of the population lives below the national poverty line in 2020. In Afghanistan, the proportion of employed population below $1.90 purchasing power parity a day is 34.3% in 2019. For every 1,000 babies born in Afghanistan in 2019, 60 die before their 5th birthday.

More than 23 million Afghans face acute hunger, including 9 million who are nearly famished, according to the UNICEF World Food Program. By mid-2022, the U.N. Development Program estimates that 97% of Afghanistan's population will "plunge" into poverty. Up to 1 million children under 5 could die by the end of the year due to the country's food crisis and the lack of water and sanitation services, according to UNICEF.

The struggle to keep their homes warm could increase the risk of illnesses, according to UNICEF. If a child is malnourished, the risks of getting sick are higher, and the recovery could take longer. "We are approaching a critical juncture for Afghanistan's children, as winter brings with it a multitude of threats to their health," bdul Kadir Musse, a former UNICEF Afghanistan representative, said in a Jan. 15 press release.  

"There is no time to lose. Without urgent, concerted action -- including ensuring we have the resources to deploy additional cash transfers and winter supplies -- many of the country's children will not live to see spring," he said.

The financial situation among Afghans becomes even more challenging, following the freezing of more than $9 billion in assets after the Taliban took power last August.

The measure to freeze foreign reserves was taken as a way to prevent the resources from falling into the Taliban's hands. The U.N. has about $135 million in aid in Afghanistan but it can't access the money since the Taliban-run central bank lacks the infrastructure to convert it to afghani, the country's currency.

As a way to meet the needs of families, UNICEF launched a $2 billion appeal in December as a way to respond to the needs of over 24 million Afghans. The appeal will "help avert the collapse of health, nutrition, WASH, education and other vital social services for children and families."

The U.S. is also taking part in providing aid to Afghanistan as it deals with a growing humanitarian crisis. In January, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced a contribution of over $308 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghans, bringing the total amount of aid in the country to nearly $782 million since October 2020.

"The United States continues to urge the Taliban to allow unhindered humanitarian access, safe conditions for humanitarians, independent provision of assistance to all vulnerable people and freedom of movement for aid workers of all genders," a press release stated at the time. "We will continue to work to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people and call on other donors to continue to contribute to this international response."

The U.S., however, is under growing pressure to unfreeze Afghanistan's assets. The Taliban met with western diplomats from the U.S., Britain, France, Italy and Norway in January during a series of closed-door meetings in Oslo to discuss the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of Afghans.

It marked the first official talks since the group seized power six months ago.

"We are requesting them to unfreeze Afghan assets and not punish ordinary Afghans because of the political discourse," Taliban delegate Shafiullah Azam told The Associated Press on Jan. 23. "Because of the starvation, because of the deadly winter, I think it's time for the international community to support Afghans, not punish them because of their political disputes."

Desperate Afghans: Without money and resources, some families are forced to make horrific decisions to make some money -- even if it means selling their children. "It's normal to sell our daughters, but the situation is so bad, I have to sell my son because we're hungry," he said. "What happens to my son once I sell him is not up to me. He could end up being killed, or he could be allowed to go to school."

Others are left with the choice to sell their organs in exchange for some money to buy a meal. "I couldn't go out and beg for money, I was not able to beg. Then I decided to go to the hospital and sell my kidney, so I could at least feed my children for some time," Ghulam Hazrat told ABC News.

With over 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees, they consist of one of the largest refugee populations in the world. Approximately 2.2 million have relocated to Iran and Pakistan, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Due to the growing conflicts and the rise of the Taliban to power, the UNHCR predicts the number will continue to rise.