"For you, a thousand times over." It is one of the most well-known lines from the novel "The Kite Runner" written by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini in 2003. Almost 20 years later, in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, CGTN encountered some local kite runners.

Eight-year-old Abdula spent 10 Afghani (about 10 cents) on his colorful new kite. Many children joined him in flying it. They have an austere life, but it is one filled with happiness.

According to UNICEF, over half of Afghanistan's 24 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance, and millions require essential services.