A Country in Crisis

Afghanistan has been ravaged by conflict for decades. Over the last few days, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, leaving their homes with nothing due to the current crisis.

Displaced families are now arriving in camps in urgent need of food, water, shelter, and with the ongoing pandemic, hygiene kits to keep safe.

Since the start of the year, the conflict has already driven some 550,000 vulnerable people out of their homes – and more are fleeing every day.

They urgently need shelter and protection. 

This latest wave of violence is another blow for Afghans, who have suffered more than 40 years of conflict, natural disasters, poverty, and food insecurity. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed Afghanistan’s health system and less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated. 

 

The country and its people are also adversely affected by global warming:
Research suggests that climate issues, like drought, are alarmingly linked to changes in climate. Many displaced families lost all crops and livestock and struggled to survive cold winters in makeshift tents.

With all this considered, one thing remains clear:

The people of Afghanistan are resilient and, with the support of donors like you, families in need there can access opportunities to break the chains of poverty and move toward success.

In total, some 3.5 million people are now internally displaced (IDPs) inside Afghanistan due to conflict. In addition to the IDPs, there are also over 2.2 million registered Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan as of 31 December 2020, making the Afghan crisis one of the world’s largest refugee situations worldwide.

We need your help today to prepare for the worst.

 

The number of civilian casualties has risen sharply, and an increasing proportion of women and children were among those targeted. Tragically, the crisis is especially hard on children: more than 65% of Afghanistan’s 35 million people are young people.

Your support will make sure displaced Afghan families have access to safe shelter, emergency supplies, protection, assistance so they buy essential items, COVID-19 prevention, and psychological care to help people recover from their trauma. With your support, we can save lives.