Livelihood
IFRC, Regional Population Movement - Afghanistan: Preparedness and Response - Operation Update #4, Emergency appeal no. MDRAFRPM21, 31 December 2022
Afghanistan faces an economic and humanitarian crisis more than one year after the change in government. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), two-thirds of Afghanistan’s population will need humanitarian assistance in 2023 as the country enters its third consecutive year of drought-like conditions and the second year of crippling economic decline. The number of people in need of assistance is estimated at a record 28.3 million in 2023, up from 24.4 million in 2022 and 18.4 million in 2021. The deteriorating economy has led to sharp declines in income and rising debt. Average household debt in Afghanistan has increased six-fold in recent years from Afghan Afghani (AFN) 9,770 in 2019 to AFN 59,492 in 2022. Most of the needs are in urban areas with 27 out of 34 provincial capitals experiencing extreme severity, including Kabul.
Women and girls are usually more impacted by humanitarian crises, and this is the case in Afghanistan, where changes in the labour market particularly affect women. The lack of access to basic services and food insecurity is creating a growing potential caseload for cross-border movements. This situation, therefore, requires a continued focus on preparedness and response activities in the neighbouring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan. Afghans may begin to feel that local authorities have little or a decreasing capacity to govern and deliver, and/or that the international humanitarian response is unable to maintain its aid delivery effort. Therefore, a growing number of Afghans might be seeking refuge in neighbouring countries as an option, with Iran and Pakistan being the preferred (initial) destinations.”
ECHO, Millions of Afghans count on assistance as winter approaches, 15 December 2022
“1 year since foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban came to power, life is still unbearably hard, particularly for women and girls. Half of the population remains dependent on humanitarian aid, including 6 million living on the edge of famine. Debt has racked up as food prices have skyrocketed. Drought, warming temperatures and lack of money to buy seeds and agriculture tools put another harvest in jeopardy. The ripple effect of the war in Ukraine is adding further misery to the people of Afghanistan, increasing the cost of food in local markets and humanitarian aid that has been a lifeline for so many people. Having struggled through a year of unprecedented economic hardship and environmental disasters, including earthquakes and flooding, families have little left to get through this winter. Millions of them will be counting on assistance from the World Food
Programme (WFP), which is supported by the EU’s humanitarian aid. Since 2021, the EU has contributed over €86 million in humanitarian funding toward WFP’s emergency operations. This year, EU humanitarian funding helped WFP sustain its life-saving operations, including emergency food assistance for communities affected by the earthquake in June, and making the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) available to humanitarian partners.”
Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), Responsible International Aid for Populations Ruled by Illegitimate Regimes: An Indicative Framework for Afghanistan, 12 December 2022
“After more than a year under Taliban rule, Afghanistan is mired in dysfunction. Basic services such as health and education continue to decline, the public sector is paralysed and the private sector lacks basic preconditions for the kind of economic activity that could alleviate dire poverty.”
UNICEF, Humanitarian Action for Children 2023 – Afghanistan, 6 December 2022
“Some 28.3 million people, more than 65 per cent of the population, are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023. […] The economic crisis is expected to continue, with 64 per cent of households unable to meet their basic needs. This is coupled with a historic third La Niña drought, harsh winters and other climate-related risks. Vulnerable populations will be pushed to the brink. UNICEF will continue to prioritize life-saving activities in underserved areas with multifaceted needs. Interventions will focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, nutrition, education and child protection. The UNICEF response will include gender-based violence services and the use of cash-based assistance to respond to sudden-onset disasters, avert catastrophe and meet existing humanitarian needs. US$1.7 billion is urgently needed to meet the humanitarian needs of 19 million people in Afghanistan.”
UNHCR, UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific (RBAP): External Update: Afghanistan Situation #21, As of 01 November 2022, 2 December 2022
“UNHCR released the Mid-year Report on the Afghanistan Situation Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP). Conditions for refugees and Afghans of other statuses in host countries have deteriorated since the launch of the RRP earlier this year, compounded by rising living costs and lack of livelihoods opportunities across the region. To support host governments and to reduce the impact on vulnerable populations, partners continue to adopt a community- and areabased approach by working through government systems – wherever possible – in the spirit of burden sharing. Of note, nearly 350,000 Afghans have been supported to access secondary and tertiary healthcare services, over 165,000 children (including Afghan refugees, Afghans of other status and members of the host community) supported to access primary and secondary education and some 12,500 received unconditional multi-purpose cash assistance.”
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) Govt. Türkiye, Support from TİKA to Disaster Victims in
Afghanistan, 28 November 2022
“Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided household goods and kitchen equipment support to the families affected by the fires in Afghanistan. TİKA provided household goods and kitchen equipment support to 40 families, whose houses were damaged during the fires started in the Upper Mardyan Village of the Fayzabad District of the Jowzjan Province in Afghanistan 45 days ago and continued for 20 days. TİKA’s Coordinator in Mazar- I Sharif, Mikail Taşdemir reported that around 2 thousand people were affected and 116 houses were damaged in the fire disaster. Wishing a speedy recovery, Taşdemir said, “As TİKA, we will continue to stand by the people of Afghanistan whom we have historical and cultural bonds with.” Social Affairs Director of Jowzjan, Kari Nurullah Misafir stated that they have always felt the support of Türkiye and its people by their side.”
Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Following Women in Conflict Zones (WiCZ), Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) opens up new horizons of partnership with the Turquoise Mountain Trust (TMT) for the Response,
Resilience, and Global Engagement, 8 December 2022
“Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed an agreement with the Turquoise Moun-tain Trust (TMT) to provide financial support for the Response, Resilience, and Global Engagement: Alleviation of poverty in a humanitarian crisis through direct support for livelihoods for female weavers programme. This contribution to TMT aims to propose a one-year pilot programme to alleviate pov-erty in a humanitarian crisis by directly supporting the livelihoods of 3,261 female weavers and a further 9,783 indirect beneficiaries through their households. Under the umbrella of our initiative, Women in Conflict Zones (WiCZ), this is a signifi-cant livelihood-generating opportunity that will improve Afghan women’s lives by build-ing resilience in the Afghan carpet sector through the enhancement of international market linkages. The programme also aims to transform the lives of thousands of
Afghan families. This unique program in Afghanistan is uniquely positioned to support the growth and de-
velopment of the Afghan carpet economy.”
International Organization for Migration (IOM), DTM AFGHANISTAN RETURNEE LONGITUDINAL SURVEY (RLS), 31 October 2022
“The key finding of the RLS Round 8 is that returnees continue to experience significant economic and food-related challenges. Most of the respondents (96%) indicated that their household monthly income was not enough to provide for their family’s basic needs and all respondents reduced the quantity and quality of their food intake sometimes, often, or very often because of its cost.”
“The largest share of respondents reported that they were unemployed (44%) followed by those who were working for daily wages (40%). It should be noted that daily wages cannot be considered as a stable source of employment as most returnees are not able to work for daily wages on a regular basis. Especially in rural areas, daily wage workers are mostly dependent on seasonal work from the agricultural sector, resulting in fewer job opportunities during the less intense agricultural seasons. Respondents who reported working for daily wages worked, on average, 16 days per month.”
“Similarly, to previous rounds, participants in the RLS remained situated in low-income brackets. Thirty-five per cent of respondents earned no income at the personal level. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents said that their monthly household income was situated between USD 1-571 . Fifty-two per cent also reported their personal income being in this range.”
“Most respondents (96%) reported that their household income was not enough to cover their basic needs. Common coping mechanisms for insufficient income include borrowing money from friends or relatives (96%), reducing food expenditures (91%), reducing expenditures on health and non-food items
(28%), relying on humanitarian assistance and donations (13%) and selling productive assets or means of
transportation (13%).”
“Participants were asked about coping mechanisms in response to food insecurity. Reducing food quantity and quality and borrowing food were the coping mechanisms used most frequently by the respondents. Thirty per cent of the respondents reported borrowing food very often and 47 per cent often. Furthermore, a large majority of participants reduced the quantity and quality of their food often or very often (94% and 89%, respectively). One- fourth of all participants reported skipping meals often or very often to cope with food insecurity (25%).”
The Khaama Press News Agency, WFP needs $1.1bn as winter spells hunger for Afghanistan, 27 September 2022 “The country is now facing its greatest risk of famine in 20 years, according to a statement released by the WFP on Monday, September 26. The country’s economy has withered, and development assistance and assets are still mostly frozen. The country has seen jobs disappear, and the economic collapse and climate shocks exacerbate the already precarious food security. It is estimated that the needed $1.1 billion will help nearly 18 million families experiencing food insecurity throughout the winter. Farmers are still suffering from one of the country’s worst droughts in decades, and their shrunken harvest are increasing the already alarmingly high levels of hunger.
According to the statement, middle-class and urban households are now also affected by food insecurity and
hunger.”
ACAPS, Afghanistan: Risk overview, 26 September 2022
“[…] A year since their return to power, the Taliban have started consolidating their rule, and: […] The isolation of the central bank, freezing of overseas assets, imposition of sanctions, and suspension of bilateral assistance have precipitated a financial and economic crisis in the country. Food insecurity has increased; 89% of Afghan households continue to face insufficient food consumption. The Taliban continue to replace government staff with unqualified personnel, undermining already weak governance. As Afghans enter the winter season, living conditions will become more challenging, and most people will continue to rely heavily on humanitarian
assistance.”
Tolo News, Media Violations Commission to Begin Work Monday, 25 September 2022
“The journalists are currently facing a lot of challenges and threats but there is nowhere to refer to,” said
Farkhunda Mehbi, a journalist.
“The challenges against journalists have increased. The restrictions have been extended,” said Mustafa Shaharyar,
a journalist.
“The media-supporting organizations called on the CMV to address the challenges of journalists in Afghanistan.”
Gandhara, Taliban Harassment Of Couples A Blow To Afghan Restaurants, 24 September 2022
“Hotak has stopped eating out with her husband for another reason. She says that incessant harassment by Taliban zealots now keeps them away from restaurants. "Taliban militants randomly interrogate you while eating out," she said, recalling a recent incident. "They asked my husband, 'Who is she and why have you brought her here?' When we told them we were married, they asked us to prove it."
“Hotak says that the awkward incident forced her to stop eating out. "We are not alone," she told RFE/RL. "This is why many customers have stopped going to restaurants, which makes them look deserted."
“Idrees, a pseudonym for the manager of an upscale Kabul restaurant, says his business has rapidly lost patrons because of Taliban harassment.” […]
“In May, the Taliban banned men and women from eating together in the western Afghan city of Herat.” “Riazullah Seerat, a Taliban official at the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, told AFP that restaurants were verbally warned that couples were not allowed to dine in "even if they are husband and wife."
ICRC, Crisis fatigue not an option as global hunger crisis deepens, the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement warns, 13 September 2022
“[…] In Afghanistan: The combination of three decades of armed conflict and an economic crash resulting in few job opportunities and a massive banking crisis are having a devastating effect on Afghan families’ ability to buy food. More than half the country – 24 million – need assistance. The International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement welcomes any measure aimed at easing the effect of economic sanctions. But given the depth of the humanitarian crisis, long-term solutions are also needed, including the resumption of projects and investments by states and development agencies in key infrastructure.”
Afghan Voice Agency, OCHA: More than 24 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian aid, 8 September 2022
[…] “200 people were killed and 300 others were injured due to the floods in Afghanistan in recent weeks, and 12
thousand residential houses and hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land were destroyed.”
RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, 'We Are Left With Nothing': Deadly Floods Aggravate Afghanistan's Economic, Humanitarian Crisis’, 31 August 2022
“Mira Jan lost his home, crops, and livestock in the devastating floods that have struck large swaths of Afghanistan. "Our house was swept away by the raging floods," Jan, a farmer in the eastern province of Nangarhar, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "We were only able to save ourselves and our children. We have nothing to live off now.” Jan is among the tens of thousands of Afghans affected by the deadly floods that have swept the country in recent weeks. Over 250 people have been killed and thousands of homes have been destroyed. The floods have
exacerbated the devastating economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan that has been fueled by the Taliban’s seizure of power in August 2021.”
Global Shelter Cluster, Southeast Afghanistan Earthquake, Rapid Technical Field Assessment Report Kabul,
Afghanistan, 30 August 2022
“Factors Affecting Needs and Assistance Options
Damage levels varied greatly across the affected area, frequently related to the quality of construction. Levels of damage, however, directly affect assistance needs. Households that have faced total devastation may be much more greatly traumatized and may also have lost members of the household. These households may require
considerably more psychosocial support and may also require additional labor inputs to make up for the loss of family members who previously generated income. Vernacular repairs may no longer be possible and whole room and compound wall reconstruction may be required. Higher levels of damage are predominantly associated with poorer quality of materials and construction, and as such, highly damaged households may also require additional levels of training or financial assistance. […].
Hazards and Risk Level
As noted, the entire affected area is characterized by a high level of seismic risk. […]
The capacity of different households to respond to and recover from disasters varies greatly across the world. Some indicators of reduced capacity or increased vulnerability are fairly universal such as levels of poverty, loss of key breadwinners through injury or death, households with high numbers of elderly, the very young, individuals living with disabilities, etc. Local factors may also increase vulnerability, such as altitude increasing the risk of extreme cold. Damage levels due to poor construction may also be a proxy indicator of many factors such as
education and poverty, etc.”
IOM, IOM Afghanistan flash flood situation report, 26 August 2022
“Heavy rainfalls triggered flash flooding that has affected 6 regions of the country (: Central, Central highlands, West, Southeastern, Southern and Eastern regions of Afghanistan) Families have been affected, houses damaged or destroyed. Several persons are missing and injured. Most of these affected families have left their houses and are now displaced in host communities or living in open spaces. De-facto authorities have already deployed rescue teams to evacuate families stranded in flooded areas. Transportation, communication and accommodation for assessment and response teams have been hampered by the heavy rains and floods, with networks disrupted, roads blocked and many places still underwater. Long term support will be needed to address livelihood losses, as well as disaster risk reduction to harness recovery and improve resilience to future shocks. IOM has assisted families which consist of emergency shelter, non-food items (blankets, kitchen set and solar lights) and winter
clothing.”
Afghanistan: Earthquake Response Situation Report No.3, 26 August 2022
“Humanitarian partners have continued to scale-up their capacity and presence to respond to earthquake-related
needs across Khost, Paktika and Paktika provinces following the 5.9 magnitude earthquake. Different humanitarian
responses for emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, food security, health, nutrition, protection, education, multi-purpose cash assistance and coordination. However, they face gaps and constraints.”
UNOCHA, Afghanistan: Snapshot of Population Movements, January to August 2022, 25 August 2022
“In 2022, displacement due to ongoing conflict reduced and natural disasters is continuing to drive humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. Almost 30.2K people have left their homes this year due to fighting. In addition to this, close to 582.9K people have returned from neighboring countries to Afghanistan so far this year including 528.1K from Iran, and 54.8K from Pakistan.”
MSF, MSF’s emergency project in Paktika province comes to a close, 25 August 2022
“On 28 July 2022, the last Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team left Paktika province, Afghanistan, after an emergency earthquake intervention. Over the course of five weeks more than 1,380 patients were treated in the MSF temporary clinic in Bermal, at first presenting with trauma injuries related to the earthquake and later with primary healthcare needs. Medical care in Bermal is scarce, and so trauma care in those first days of the crisis was invaluable.
During the night of 21 and 22 June, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook Khost and Paktika provinces in the east of Afghanistan. Spera District (Khost province), Gayan (Paktika province) and Bermal (Paktika province) were the most affected.
The following day, 23 June, MSF sent two emergency response teams, one from Kabul and one from Khost, to assess what medical care was available in the area. As the teams stopped to assess different areas, they donated tents and medical equipment before travelling on to their final destination, hard-to-reach Bermal.
“On our arrival we saw that the situation was precarious. Families and communities had lost almost everything, and they were living under the open sky. We realised that the closest healthcare facilities were almost 150 kilometres away,” says Dr Taufeeq, who was a member of the earthquake intervention team.
Three days after the earthquake, MSF set up trauma stabilisation activities, working alongside the Italian non- governmental organisation Emergency who secured the referrals. MSF provided trauma care as well as outpatient and inpatient care for female patients, and additional female staff members were sent from the Khost maternity project to support.
Trucks of medical, logistic, and water and sanitation materials also arrived from Kabul. After the first few days, the number of people coming to the clinic with acute watery diarrhea started to increase and so isolation tents were also set up nearby.
“Within the first 72 hours we were able to provide basic healthcare and trauma care to the affected population,” says Gaetan Drossart, Afghanistan Country Representative. “And the decision to close our activities after a few weeks was taken given the emergency nature of our response and the fact that other organisations were
increasing their activities in Bermal.”
“But, access to healthcare in the area needs to be improved in a longer-term, sustainable way,” he says.
Just before the end of the intervention, in mid-July, MSF midwives assisted the first institutional delivery in the Lawara area of Bermal district – healthy twin girls. According to their mother, without care in Bermal she would have had to travel four hours by road to reach Urgun and it would have cost her 7,000 Afghani (US$80). […]”
UNOCHA, Afghanistan: Flash Update #5 - Flash Flooding in the Central, Eastern, Western and South-Eastern Regions, 24 August 2022
“Over the past week, heavy rains and flash flooding have occurred in several provinces across the eastern, central, south-eastern, southern and western regions of Afghanistan. Homes are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the floods. People have reportedly been killed by flash floods, 118 since 1 August. In response, several inter-agency teams have been mobilized simultaneously to assess needs and provide immediate assistance. On 21 August, the regional Operational Coordination Team (OCT) agreed to deploy 37 inter-agency assessment teams. UNICEF has also deployed integrated response teams to severely impacted areas and provided WASH, nutrition, and psychosocial support, as well as key messages aimed at creating awareness against
communicable disease outbreaks. UNICEF also conducted a rapid assessment of schools damaged by the floods.”
AVA, Deadly flood in Afghanistan; Conflict between politics and humanity, 24 August 2022
“Deadly floods have added to the heavy and devastating calamities in Afghanistan in recent days and have claimed dozens of victims. Reports indicate that only in Khushi district of Logar province, at least 20 people have died, dozens of people have been injured, and thousands of people's houses and fields have been destroyed. Homeless people have to live in the open day and night. Many of them have lost almost all their property. There is no clean drinking water, no food, no shelter and no money to build a new life. […] The government of "Islamic Emirate" has asked the world to immediately help the flood victims of Afghanistan. A world that is heavily involved in colonial and ideological politics and does not consider humanity and addressing the pain and suffering of human societies as a real priority.”
AVA, International organizations, Taqlid authorities and the people of Afghanistan inside and outside should rush to help the flood victims as soon as possible, 23 August 2022
“Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Seyyed Isa Hussaini Mazari, head of Tabian Cultural Activities Center, in a message on the occasion of the recent heavy rains and devastating floods, especially the massive flood casualties in Khushi district of Logar province, while expressing condolences to the families of the victims, from all international forums, the United Nations, neighboring countries, the supreme authorities of Taqlid and the people of Afghanistan inside and outside the country have separately requested, with the coordination of the Afghan government, to make arrangements as soon as possible to send measured cash and non-cash aid to the poor people of Afghanistan, Otherwise there will be a much bigger human disaster ahead.”
AVA, The flood caused huge financial losses and loss of life in several provinces, 22 August 2022
“Flooding during the last two days in Logar, Maidan Wardak, Nooristan and several other provinces has caused huge financial losses and loss of life to people. Local officials of Logar say that according to preliminary statistics, 20 people have died, 30 others have been injured and four others are missing as a result of floods in Khushi district of that province. According to them, following the flood in Khushi Logar district, more than three thousand houses, thousands of acres of agricultural land and gardens were destroyed, thousands of livestock were lost, and thousands of families were forced to leave their homes.”
Deutsche Welle, Flash floods kill dozens in Afghanistan, Pakistan, 21 August 2022
“An exceptional monsoon season sparked flooding in the eastern Afghan province of Logar and in neighboring
Pakistan. More than 50 people have been killed and several people are still missing.”
Ariana News, 511 dead, 3,700 injured in flash floods over the past year in Afghanistan, 18 August 2022
“State Ministry for Natural Disasters Management officials said 511 people have died and more than 3,700 people have been injured during the past year in flash floods across Afghanistan. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, officials said more than 23,000 residential areas and 66,700 acres of agricultural land were destroyed and almost 8,000 livestock were killed in these floods. […] Meanwhile, this year, the country witnessed a deadly earthquake in Paktika and Khost provinces, which according to the latest reports, killed more than 1,000 people and injured over 1,500. The burning of forests in Nuristan province and residential houses in Jawzjan province have also been other disasters in the past year, officials said.”
UNHCR, Flash External Update: Afghanistan Situation #19, 17 August 2022
“[...]Ongoing earthquake response. In late June, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck districts in Paktika and Khost provinces, south-eastern Afghanistan. Over 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed, including 250 children, while an additional 3,000 people were injured, among them 600 children. At least 70% of houses in the most impacted areas were damaged or destroyed. [...]
The broader humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains challenging across the country, with more than half of the population remaining dependent on assistance. This includes many displaced people, who often live-in makeshift settlements under difficult conditions. [...]
UNHCR first visit to Nuristan province in 15 years: In the reporting period, UNHCR staff undertook a twoday mission to Nuristan Province for the first time since 2007, as the province had been largely inaccessible due to active conflict. The province capital, Parun, is more than eight hours by road from Jalalabad over mountainous terrain in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan. During the visit, the UNHCR team met with authorities, IDP representatives and partner agencies. The visit highlighted the lack of access to basic services, including potable water, education, health, access roads, and lack of access to viable livelihood opportunities in remote districts and locations. As part of the immediate response, UNHCR started the distribution of tents and CRIs to the most vulnerable IDPs, while also assessing the further potential for scaling up further through an area-based approach in the two new PARR locations.”
AVA, Floods Took Lives of 41 People in Afghanistan, 17 August 2022
“OCHA United Nations Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office in Afghanistan announced on Wednesday, that in the past few days, hundreds of residential houses have been destroyed due to heavy rains and floods in several provinces of the country, besides the fact that 41 people have died. […] According to OCHA, a total of 3,720 families have been affected by the floods of the last few days, of which 2,400 families are residents of Nangarhar.” European Union Agency for Asylum, Key socio-economic indicators in Afghanistan and in Kabul city: Country of Origin Information Report, 16 August 2022
UNFPA, Statement of UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on Afghanistan, 15 August 2022
“One year since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the country remains in the throes of a deep economic and humanitarian crisis. Soaring food and fuel prices – exacerbated by a drought and the war in Ukraine – have resulted in an estimated 95 percent of the population, and nearly all female-headed households, not having enough to eat. Afghan women and girls have seen the continuous erosion of their rights. Girls have been excluded from secondary schools, a move that violates their fundamental right to education, denies them the opportunity to realize their full potential and is disastrous for the economic development of the country. It also puts girls at increased risk of early marriage, early pregnancy, violence, and abuse. Women’s rights to work and to participate fully in other aspects of public life have also been severely restricted.
The breakdown of the health system has compromised women and girls’ access to reproductive health services, including maternal health care, particularly for the more than 9 million people living in remote areas of the country. For the estimated 24,000 women who give birth each month in hard-to-reach areas, childbirth can, in effect, be a death sentence. Vital services for survivors of gender-based violence are also limited following the dissolution of dedicated reporting pathways, justice mechanisms and shelters, with potentially fatal consequences.”
UNICEF, Afghanistan Humanitarian Situation Report No.8, 31 July 202, 15 August 2022
“Across the country flooding affected thousands of people, killing at least 39, as well as destroying farmlands and
severely impacting livelihoods [...]. Schools remained closed for girls in secondary school in July.”
UNHCR, Five things you should know about Afghanistan, 15 August 2022
““1. Afghans make up one of the world’s largest populations of people uprooted by conflict and human rights abuses. … 3.5 million Afghans are displaced inside their country due to conflict, including more than 800,000 who have been uprooted since January 2021 – the majority by fighting that took place between May and August 2021. Over the past year, improved security in parts of Afghanistan has allowed many people to return home. But they often come back to damaged or destroyed homes, a war-ravaged infrastructure and a lack of jobs. Meanwhile, some areas have witnessed sporadic violence and fresh displacement. An earthquake in June in the southeast of the country followed by successive aftershocks rendered many homeless. 2. Half of the people in Afghanistan are facing extreme hunger. Afghanistan’s economy has collapsed over the past year. The combination of a prolonged drought, soaring food prices and job losses have pushed around 25 million Afghans into poverty, with more than half the population now reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. Foreign development aid has come to a grinding halt. Three quarters of people’s incomes is now spent on food. Six million people are teetering on the brink of famine and 1 million children face severe malnourishment. While a widespread hunger crisis was averted last winter, food prices continue to rise – partly due to the war in Ukraine – as household incomes continue to shrink.
3. The climate crisis is making Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis worse. Climate change is driving increasingly frequent, intense natural disasters that are hitting communities already devastated by conflict. Even before the Taliban’s return, a severe drought had withered crops and reduced groundwater levels. The drought continued into 2022 and was accompanied by a heatwave so intense it led to multiple wildfires in the country’s east. Then came unseasonably heavy summer downpours and flash flooding in many parts of Afghanistan that submerged villages and damaged houses, roads and farmlands. More than 1.5 million Afghans have been displaced by such disasters, in addition to the 3.5 million displaced by conflict. […]”
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), The concern of the Islamic Aid Organization about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, 14 August 2022
“The Islamic Aid Organization announced in a report that after the domination of the Islamic Emirate, due to economic and political collapse, Afghanistan has become the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. This organization added: 19.7 million people regularly go to bed hungry, which is one of the highest statistics in the world. Mothers are cripplingly in debt to feed their children, and fathers are desperately looking for work, the report said. This organization has also said that boys in Afghanistan drop out of school to help their
families, and young girls also get married due to poverty and disability.”
Khaama Press (Afghan News Agency), Afghanistan Scene of World’s ‘Worst’ Humanitarian Crisis: Islamic Relief
Organization, 13 August 2022
“Afghans, particularly women and children, are suffering the most from an economic collapse, as a result of the combined effects of years of violence, maladministration, drought, natural disasters, and international sanctions. In a report released on Saturday, the 13th of August, the Islamic Relief Organization stated that due to Afghanistan’s recent political and economic breakdown, a humanitarian disaster has become a reality. At least 24 million Afghan people, or more than half the population of the country, immediately require humanitarian assistance. The number of Afghan people who go to bed hungry every day is 19.7 million, which is one of the greatest figures ever recorded for a single country, according to the report. The majority of all rural households and more than a quarter of urban households have now used all available resources, and they are turning to ever- distressing and dangerous measures. That includes beggaring on the streets, selling their homes, selling their body organs, looking to take on increasingly risky work, or marrying off their young daughters to get a dowry for
survival.”
United Nations Secretary General, Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 11 August 2022
“[...] Between January and June 2022, almost 23 million people received at least one form of humanitarian assistance. This is 94 per cent of the 24.4 million people that need help. Food assistance has also been stepped up to reach nearly 22 million people this year. Following the 5.9 magnitude earthquake in the south-eastern region of Afghanistan on 22 June, humanitarian partners have reached 85,000 people, which represents 85 per cent of those directly affected, with food, emergency shelter, health care and other critical assistance. Our colleagues add that the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) have played a pivotal role in preventing a collapse of the health and education sectors by ensuring essential workers continue to be paid. Despite this massive response, the scale of needs in Afghanistan far outstrips the capacity of humanitarian partners, according to the Humanitarian Coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, who said that in a statement today. Mr. Alakbarov stressed that this tragic reality will continue unless a functioning economy and banking system is restored, girls are officially able to return to school, and women and girls can meaningfully and safely participate in all aspects of social, political and economic life, including humanitarian work.”
UNOCHA, Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan 2022 Response Overview, 11 August 2022
“[...] Millions of people already reached with one form of assistance will continue to require multiple rounds of assistance over the course of the year to survive. This often includes costlier, more comprehensive and more impactful packages of assistance and services to cover their needs.
[...]
Acute vulnerabilities continue to be compounded by emerging shocks including a high-magnitude Earthquake, wide- spread outbreak of diseases (including Acute Watery Diarrhoea) as well as atypical floods and other seasonal risks, all on the backdrop of a crippling economic decline and ruptures in basic services. [...] The combination of global and in-country food and other commodity price spikes and funding shortfalls is already forcing humanitarians to provide fewer rounds of assistance than originally intended.”
UNHCR Operational Data Portal, UNHCR Earthquake Emergency Response External Update#4, 11 August 2022
“1,000 people killed, including 250 children; 3,000 people injured, including 600 children; at least 70% of houses in the most impacted areas are damaged or destroyed [...]
On 22 June 2022 a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck vulnerable districts in Paktika and Khost provinces, south- eastern Afghanistan. Over 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed, including 250 children, while an additional 3,000 people were injured, among them 600 children. At least 1,500 homes are reported to have been damaged in Giyan district of Paktika province alone. Interagency teams including UNHCR were quickly on the ground to assess the situation. Findings from rapid assessments reaffirm the extensive damage to houses, absence of (and lack of access to) basic services such as water, education, health, electricity, access roads in remote locations, and lack of viable livelihood opportunities. It is estimated that at least 70% of the houses in the most impacted areas are
damaged or destroyed, leaving many without shelter and sleeping in the open, prone to harsh weather, health and
protection issues, and other hazards.”
UNAMA, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Reaffirms Commitment to Meeting Life-Saving Needs and Supporting Vulnerable Communities Across Afghanistan, 11 August 2022
“The Afghan people continue to stand in dire need of international assistance despite an ongoing humanitarian
response of unprecedented scale and nature. [...]
“Today, the tragic reality is that the scale of needs in Afghanistan far outstrips the response capacity of humanitarian actors to meet them, and it will simply not be possible to move the population from a mode of surviving to thriving unless a functioning economy and banking system is restored; longer-term, more sustainable interventions are resumed; line ministries are technically capacitated; girls are officially able to return to school; and women and girls can participate meaningfully and safely in all aspects of social, political and economic life, including humanitarian work,” the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov said.
[...] The future looks increasingly bleak in the absence of concerted efforts to address structural drivers of need and vulnerability that help lay the groundwork for community-led, bottom up economic recovery.
Around 25 million people are now living in poverty, and as many as 900,000 jobs may be lost from the labour market this year as businesses struggle to stay afloat, and women and girls remain locked out of secondary school and the formal economy.”
Al Jazeera, Photos: Afghans paying the price for peace since Taliban takeover, 10 August 2022
“Over the past year, millions of lives have been hit by the strict measures leading to the withdrawal of development support and limitations imposed on the country’s financial systems. The liquidity crisis, cash shortages, the collapse of the banking system and Western sanctions – for the displaced people dwelling in makeshift settlements, the complex financial terms circulating in the Afghan context stand for only one thing: shocking levels of poverty. Staggering numbers of Afghans are unable to access their salaries or lifetime savings, while the increased costs of living and scarce job opportunities have driven entire families into mounting debt. Most people have nothing to spend and shrinking demand for basic goods has forced small businesses to shut down. In the shadow of the Ukraine war, the prices of food and essential products have skyrocketed, placing them out of reach for the destitute communities.”
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) (Afghanistan), Humanitarian Response (Afghanistan), Afghanistan: Humanitarian Response Plan - Response Overview (1 January - 30 May 2022),
