A humanitarian aid worker tells us why she decided to stay behind in Afghanistan: She believes there's still hope that the media has ignored

• Asuntha Charles, national director for World Vision in Afghanistan, said it is critical to stand by Afghan children during the crisis.
• She said the media isn't highlighting the positive parts of Afghanistan, which would give people hope.

The national director for World Vision, a humanitarian organization in Afghanistan, said she stayed in Kabul following the United States' exit because she's committed to helping Afghan children and is hopeful that the country will "come out of this challenging moment."

Asuntha Charles, who is from South India, has been working with the organization for almost a year and a half; World Vision has been dedicated to helping the children of Afghanistan gain access to quality food, health care, and education for 20 years.

"At this critical moment, we want to stand by the children so that we assure them that their wellbeing is taken care of," she told Insider, shortly after the last US military planes left the country on August 31.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan's capital on August 15, nearly four months after President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops - ending a nearly 20-year-long war.

Since then, the people of Afghanistan have endured the revival of executions, the revoking of women's rights, blackouts, financial turmoil, and bombings, but Charles' hope is still alive.

Charles said that she has seen two different sides to Afghanistan. She acknowledged the tragedy at the Kabul airport in August and the fear that spread after the Taliban takeover.

However, she told Insider that the media isn't highlighting the positive parts of the country - something that may be necessary to giving people hope.

"But on the other side, I have also seen small shops functioning, reaching out to people to get their food items, and a normal lifestyle, people just walking about on the streets."

"In spite of all these challenging moments, there are people in Afghanistan showing a lot of resilience to bounce back. And this is what this country has always shown us," she added.

Charles said that the organization is "working night and day to navigate through this incredibly complex situation, including advocating to those in positions of power and influence over children's lives."

World Vision had been on pause for safety reasons as a result of the Taliban takeover, but has since reopened offices in Ghor and Faryab provinces on September 26. The office in Herat opened on October 3.

"The de-facto local authorities in both provinces gave written assurances for the safe and unrestricted rights of both male and female staff and beneficiaries to participate in health, WASH, food, and education activities," the organization said in a press statement.

A statement from World Vision estimates that nearly 2.7 million people in Afghanistan are struggling with starvation and that nearly 50% of children are in danger of acute malnutrition.

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan, which is a proposal created by several humanitarian aid agencies, is only 39% funded and requires an additional $786 million to combat these statistics, according to a statement provided to Insider in August. Funding is necessary for the organization, and other aid agencies, to resume battling the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

"Reversal of decades of progress is not an option and our commitment to stay and deliver life-saving support remains stronger than ever," Charles said. "We call on world leaders to provide much-needed sustained and flexible funds so that Afghan children who are at risk of starvation and in need of protection, will not be forgotten."