ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: The executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), Carol Bellamy, will begin a five-day visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan from Friday in an effort to asses the relief requirements for rehabilitation of Afghan children.

Speaking at a news conference here on Monday, Unicef spokesperson, Chulho Hyun, said she would seek to focus global attention on children in both immediate relief efforts and long- term recovery of Afghanistan.

She will visit Quetta, Kabul and other towns to survey the adverse conditions facing millions of children in a region stricken by drought, displacement, disease and conflict.

In a statement issued prior to her visit, Ms Bellamy said as Unicef plans for the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s education system, health care network and other basic services for children, the immediate needs that must be met over the next difficult months cannot be forgotten.

Ms Bellamy said her trip to the Afghan region would emphasise the critical role children will play in the healthy future development of Afghanistan.

“Now that we are focused on the children of Afghanistan, let’s renew our commitment to helping children everywhere grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity.” There is no effective way to change the world than through the children, she said.

During her visit to Pakistan, she will visit Quetta where Unicef’s office was burned down and Peshawar where Unicef supports Afghan refugees. She will later brief the press in Islamabad and hold meetings with UN staff.

Before arriving in Pakistan, she will lead London launch of the UN Consolidated Appeal for Countries in Crisis, the UN’s annual funding request for countries such as Afghanistan where natural calamity and human conflict put millions of people in peril.