02 July 2025, Kabul, Afghanistan – For the inhabitants of Kaskay, a remote village deep in the mountains of Gurbaz district in Khost province, seeing a doctor or accessing vaccinations for children often felt out of reach.That changed on 12 December 2024 when a team from the World Health Organization (WHO)-supported Zanshora Sub-Centre arrived in the village to help remote communities access health care services.“When we arrived we were warmly welcomed,” said WHO-supported community mobilizer Rahmanullah Atal. “The villagers, especially the elders, showed their appreciation by the way they greeted us. It was clear that trust was growing and the health needs of the village residents mounting.”Rahmanullah gathered a group of men and spoke about vaccines, why they’re important, how they work and why some side effects like a mild fever are a good sign. Many of the villagers said they used to think vaccines were harmful but that listening to someone with whom they could relate had made a real difference.The team’s female health workers – midwives Aziza and Kochay and vaccinator Zarghona – quietly visited homes to provide health care to women. The private and respectful health services they offered included antenatal and postnatal check-ups and family planning advice. Meanwhile, the team’s male vaccinator Naqibullah administered oral polio drops to children.  By the end of the day the team had provided outpatient consultations to 65 people. Eleven pregnant women received antenatal care, 2 women received postnatal check-ups and 6 accessed family planning services. Ten children were vaccinated with pentavalent vaccine, 3 received the measles vaccine and 129 children under 5 were given oral polio drops. “We didn’t know how important these vaccines were. Now we understand and we will make sure our children stay protected,” one father told the team as the day drew to a close. “No community should be left behind,” said WHO Representative in Afghanistan Dr Edwin Ceniza Salvador. “It is our responsibility to ensure that even the most remote families have access to lifesaving health services. When we reach people with care we earn their trust and help them build healthier futures.”With support from donors and partners, WHO Afghanistan is committed to reaching many more villages like Kaskay, helping families live healthier and safer lives.**For more information, please contact:Mariam Amiry, RCCE Officer WHO – Kabul, Afghanistan, amirym@who.int 

Herat Province, Afghanistan — When Fatima (name changed for confidentiality), a resident of a remote village in western Afghanistan, received urgent cash assistance in March this year, it felt like a turning point. Like thousands of others across the country, she was struggling to make ends meet amidst growing economic pressures. The support—14,700 AFN, equivalent to USD 200—provided a vital lifeline.But within a day, that lifeline was taken from her.The Problem: Misuse of Power in Times of NeedFatima was one of 23 people in her community who received the cash assistance as part of a broader humanitarian response. However, on 25 February 2025, just a day after the disbursement, two self-appointed community focal points confronted the recipients. Claiming to “redistribute” the funds across the wider village, they forcibly collected the entire amount from each beneficiary—ignoring eligibility criteria and the targeted nature of the aid.For Fatima and others, this wasn’t just a loss of money. It was a loss of dignity and hope.Fearing retaliation and deeply concerned for her safety, Fatima chose a path many others might not have dared: she contacted Awaaz Afghanistan—the country’s only inter-agency, toll-free, and confidential platform for feedback and complaints related to humanitarian assistance.Awaaz Responds: Quiet Protection, Swift ActionHonoring Fatima’s request for complete anonymity, the Awaaz team documented the case in detail and swiftly referred it to the responsible humanitarian organization for follow-up. Within days, a field team was deployed to the area to investigate the claims.Their findings confirmed Fatima’s story.On 4 March, less than ten days after her call, the organization returned to the village, addressed the misconduct, and recovered the full amount of cash assistance. Each affected household, including Fatima’s, received their rightful share—restoring not only their financial support but also a critical sense of fairness and trust.“Awaaz exists to ensure that no one feels voiceless when things go wrong. In every call, there is a story of courage—and a responsibility to act,” said Edrees Omed, Awaaz Project Manager.  “This case is a powerful reminder that when people speak, and when humanitarian actors listen, meaningful protection and justice are possible—even in the most remote corners of Afghanistan.”Beyond a Hotline: A Bridge of TrustAwaaz Afghanistan—supported by UN agencies and partners—remains the country’s first and only nationwide humanitarian call centre. With over 586,000 calls handled and 3.9 million people reached, Awaaz empowers communities to speak up, access information, and shape the support they receive—promoting safer, more accountable programming for those who need it most.Fatima’s story illustrates the platform’s broader impact: it’s not just about receiving a complaint. It’s about restoring trust, rights, and resilience—one call at a time.A Call That Changed EverythingToday, Fatima has her cash assistance back. But more importantly, she knows her voice mattered.For thousands of others like her, Awaaz stands ready—to listen, to respond, and to protect.Do you want to add a short write-up on Awaaz here for potential callers? Available in different languages, operating from .Open seven days a week | Female and male agents available | Agents speak Dari, Pashto, Urdu, English, and more.Stay connected, engaged and informed.Call us for free now on 410

With millions of Afghans living in informal settlements in fragile shelters and aligned with the new priorities for the agency globally, UN-Habitat Afghanistan has introduced its strategic priorities to tackle the country’s growing urban challenges for 2026 and 2027.The UN-Habitat Assembly concluded with the adoption of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 — a global blueprint to ensure access to adequate housing, land, and basic services for all.Through access to housing, land and basic services, UN-Habitat, at global level, aims to have an impact on three major global challenges:Equitable and inclusive prosperity for poverty eradicationPreparedness, response, recovery and reconstructionEnvironment and climate actionThe adoption of this strategy comes at a crucial moment for Afghanistan. Today, more than 9 million people live in informal settlements, often in fragile shelters without adequate water, sanitation, or tenure rights. At the same time, Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s largest returnee crises, with millions forcibly returned from Pakistan and Iran since September 2023. Most returnees settle in already overstretched informal areas, which increases the pressure on existing services and livelihood opportunities.Due to returns, but also climate-change induced displacement, urban growth is accelerating in the country. Four out of every five urban residents in Afghanistan live in informal settlements, and the country’s urban population—currently around 30 per cent—is projected to reach 50 per cent by 2060. Without coordinated action, this rapid population growth will lead to a massive spatial expansion of built-up areas, much of it informal and severely underserviced. If no action is taken now, this development will deepen existing inequalities and increase vulnerability to climate shocks, disasters, and health risks.In this context, UN-Habitat’s new strategic priorities for Afghanistan are timely and critical. By focusing on enabling adequate housing situations, livelihood opportunities, environmental action, and strengthening urban resilience, UN-Habitat aims to turn today’s challenges into opportunities for the people of Afghanistan - for a more inclusive, safe and better-planned future. The strategy, driven by UN-Habitat's global strategic plan and the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA), will be the country office roadmap for the next 2 years to focus on below priorities:Protecting the Most Vulnerable: Enhancing access to dignified living conditions and livelihood opportunities, especially in unplanned and underserviced settlements.Improving Resilience: Strengthening preparedness, emergency response, recovery, and long-term reconstruction.Advancing Climate and Environmental Action: Promoting green infrastructure and resilient urban planning to protect lives, livelihoods, and assets.Stephanie Loose, UN-Habitat’s Country Programme Manager in Afghanistan, emphasized the urgency of the plan:“Millions of people in Afghanistan live in informal settlements without or with very limited access to basic services, shelter, or hygiene,” she said.  “This strategic paper is a critical tool that guides our efforts to respond to these challenges. It enables us to continue making a real impact in Afghan communities—ensuring no one is left behind.”UN-Habitat Afghanistan will use this roadmap to strengthen partnerships, scale up interventions, and support Afghan communities in building safer, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments. 

In the hills of Laghman province, Anwar tends to his small herd of goats. Like many livestock owners in Afghanistan, he depends on them but keeping them healthy has become harder in recent years. “When my animals are safe, I can feed my family and send my children to school,” he said. For farmers like Anwar, livestock are more than just animals. Sheep and goats are the backbone of daily life in rural Afghanistan, providing nutritious milk, meat and income; and in tough times, they are often a family’s only safety net. But when animals fall sick, the effects ripple quickly through homes and communities.A serious threat to these small animals in Afghanistan is Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a fast-spreading viral disease that causes high mortality, weight loss, reduced fertility and sharp drops in milk production. First detected in Afghanistan in 1996, PPR continues to pose a significant risk to livestock owners, especially for women, who often manage livestock and depend on them to support their families.Years of drought, flash floods, extreme cold and the collapse of veterinary services have left Afghanistan’s herders increasingly vulnerable. Access to feed, water and animal care remains limited and diseases like PPR only deepen the strain on already fragile systems.In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Asian Development Bank, led the largest PPR vaccination campaign ever conducted in Afghanistan. From November 2024 to May 2025, teams vaccinated nearly four million sheep and two million goats across all 34 provinces — reaching over 868 000 families and benefiting upwards of six million people. The campaign concluded just ahead of Eid al-Adha, when healthy livestock are particularly important. The success of the campaign was rooted in strong collaboration. Working alongside the Afghanistan Veterinary Association, local authorities, and over 1 000 private Veterinary Field Units, FAO helped to train veterinary workers, supplied tools and equipment and coordinated outreach across the country. Technicians managed a nationwide cold chain system to keep vaccines effective, and mobile veterinary teams traveled to remote and nomadic communities to ensure no farmer was left behind. Over 500 000 families received brochures that outline PPR prevention and basic livestock care information. “Last year, a herder here lost almost all of his flock to PPR," recounted Dr. Nisar Ahmad, a field veterinarian in Laghman. "This year, however, there have been no outbreaks where we vaccinated animals.”The vaccination campaign is estimated to have averted approximately USD 296 million in potential losses. It also contributes to broader efforts to protect the country’s 42 million livestock — including 13.8 million sheep, 7.6 million goats and 4.6 million cattle — a vital asset base for food production and rural economy.By controlling PPR within Afghanistan, this intervention also helps to prevent the disease from spreading beyond its borders, reducing the risk of regional outbreaks and the disruption they can cause to food systems, trade and livelihoods across borders.When animals stay healthy, people stay fed. In communities where livestock is a key source of food and income, an outbreak like PPR can quickly lead to empty plates and lost livelihoods. Targeted campaigns like this don’t just protect animals, they help families like Anwar’s get through the year and keep their children nourished, while preventing outbreaks that could spiral into crises. Stronger herds contribute to a healthier environment, reinforcing the critical link between animal, human and ecosystem health. Keeping livestock healthy is one of the most practical—and cost-effective— ways to support food security in Afghanistan. And for families who depend on their animals every single day, it’s one of the most urgent. From animal health services to irrigation rehabilitation to delivery of farming inputs, targeted and timely agricultural investments have helped farmers protect their livelihoods and keep food on the table. The gains made in reducing food insecurity across Afghanistan in recent years reflect what is possible when rural communities are equipped with the right support at the right time.  Building on this progress will require sustained investment in the agriculture sector, and a clear recognition that rural families are key to a more food-secure Afghanistan.