It has been over thirty years since Save the Children Sweden started working in South and Central Asia.
In 1973, we started work in Bangladesh by providing child and maternal health care services to mothers and their children under five years of age, who were affected by devastating floods. In 1983, we began work in Pakistan, seconding staff to UNHCR to support Afghan refugees living in camps.
During the 1990s, as a child rights organisation, we began actively promoting the ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. Save the Children formed partnerships with local organisations and institutions committed to working strategically with children in difficult circumstances. In 2000, Save the Children Sweden opened its office in Afghanistan.
The Regional programme for South and Central Asia was established in 2002. In 2006, the Regional Office was registered in Nepal. Today, Save the Children Sweden runs country programmes in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is a participating member in country programmes in Sri Lanka and Nepal/Bhutan. We are also working in cooperation with Save the Children in Central Asia and India.