The United Nations' children's agency, Unicef, says Afghanistan's infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, with over 160 deaths per 1,000 births compared to just seven deaths per thousand in the United States.

In its annual State of the World's Children report, the UN organisation says that South Asia as a whole rates poorly in statistics on children's well-being.

Nearly 100 children per thousand die before they reach the age of five, against a world average of slightly more than 80 per thousand.

The report says 46% of children in South Asia are underweight, while the equivalent world figure is 27%.