Afghanistan: a country on the brink of collapse
05 Apr 22
After decades of unrest and drought, the situation in Afghanistan has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Unless urgent action is taken, it is estimated that 97 percent of Afghanistan’s population will be pushed into extreme poverty by the end of June.
Spill over effects of the situation in Ukraine threaten to exacerbate the crisis in Afghanistan, with significant increases in the prices of essential goods and supply chains coming to a grinding halt. A recent United Nations World Food Programme report indicates that 95 percent of Afghans are facing unprecedented levels of hunger and widespread food shortages, with no signs of improvement in sight.
The winter months have been especially tough, and millions of Afghan families now face desperate circumstances. Thousands, especially women and girls, who face disproportionate risks to their health, safety and wellbeing, are fleeing their homes due to insecurity and violence.
“The situation in Afghanistan right now is extremely serious. Crops are withering, the economy is imploding and a brutal winter has pushed even more people into poverty."
Caritas Australia is working with our partner on the ground, CRS. CRS has been working in Afghanistan since early 2002. CRS is providing emergency cash assistance, agricultural training and education to the most vulnerable communities across Herat, Ghor, Bamiyan, Daykundi and Kabul provinces.
Supports that have been provided so far
As the crisis continues to escalate, families all over the country continue to face the threat of hunger and starvation.
Your generosity means that CRS can help distribute emergency cash assistance to families living in the most drought-affected villages so they can purchase food rations and seeds to plant crops.
Without urgent action, food insecurity and poverty could lead to more deaths than 20 years of war.
One of the main supports CRS is providing is training sessions on simple, low-cost livestock management practices to help reduce disease, improve livestock health and increase milk production so families can rely less on external sources of food.
Educational disruptions and school closures have had a negative impact on the education of children, especially girls, in Afghanistan.
To combat this issue, CRS is providing education, care and assistance through community-based schools in rural Afghanistan. So far, over 3,791 of the most marginalised boys and girls have received support through these schools.
Caritas Australia is currently raising funds to support communities in Afghanistan. Visit our Afghanistan Emergency Appeal or call 1800 024 413 (toll-free) to provide much needed support to vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.