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13 March 2024
Investing in Afghanistan's Women is more critical than ever
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Press Release
21 February 2024
UN Reports Staggering US$ 402.9 Million in Recovery Needs Following Last Year’s Earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan
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Story
20 January 2024
Afghanistan's recovery hinges on international assistance, reviving productive sectors and reinstating women's rights
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Afghanistan
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Afghanistan:
Publication
18 April 2024
2023 UN Afghanistan Annual Results Report
The year 2023 has been one of tremendous challenges but also one of resilience and determination. In the face of adversity and multiple concurrent shocks, the people of Afghanistan have demonstrated remarkable courage and strength. This annual report serves as a testament to our ongoing commitment to the people of Afghanistan and our unwavering support for their journey towards peace, stability, and prosperity. It also reflects the tireless efforts of the United Nations and its partners to address the complex and multifaceted challenges facing the country. Due to the international assistance community’s concerted efforts, levels of support to Afghanistan remained significant. With our partners, we remained engaged despite unprecedented impediments that have shaken our core values and beliefs. In 2023, we continued to grapple with the challenges of upholding our core principles and values and simultaneously delivering on the imperative to assist people in need. The tremendous efforts and tenacity of all partners involved have shown the incredible creativity and perseverance of assistance partners who were determined not to leave the Afghan people alone. I am proud to be a representative of this extraordinary community. Afghans now mention access to food as their most pressing need. Unable to pay for or produce basic sustenance, millions face hunger and malnutrition. In 2024, an estimated 15.8 million people will experience crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity. The majority of the population is unable to procure basic needs such as healthcare, food, livelihoods, and housing. A Gallup poll found that 95 per cent of the population consider themselves to be suffering. Average life expectancy has been falling for the past five years. The Herat earthquakes and unprecedented large-scale returns from neighbouring countries have shown the disruptive impact of recurrent shocks and underscored the need for sustained international engagement and support. As we embark on the next chapter, in 2024, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to the principles of human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. We will continue to include women as key partners in our work, to provide assistance “by women, for women”, and to tirelessly work for equal access to education in line with the demands we hear from Afghans in all areas of the country. I would like to express my gratitude to the United Nations agencies, our partners from the International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), bilateral and multilateral donors and assistance partners, non-governmental organizations, and all those who continue to support the people of Afghanistan. I further express my deep gratitude to our Afghan partners, especially the Afghan women, who remind us daily of our responsibility to assist and empower them as they lead the course for a better future for themselves and their children. Your dedication and perseverance inspire us all. Indrika Ratwatte Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
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Publication
20 February 2024
Herat Earthquakes 2023 Post-Disaster Needs Assessment
The United Nations – together with the World Bank, the European Union, and the Asian Development Bank - has released a comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report for Afghanistan's Herat Province, hit by devastating earthquakes in October 2023. The report highlights the scale of the disaster: direct physical damage up to US$ 217 million and losses reaching US$ 78.9 million. The assessment underscores an urgent need for US$ 402.9 million to support the critical recovery and reconstruction efforts in the province. Besides assessing damage, losses, and recovery and reconstruction needs, the assessment evaluates broader macro-economic and human impacts and proposes principles for a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction framework. It cautions about persistent widespread poverty, slow economic recovery, job scarcity, banking sector instability, adverse impact on mental health and wellbeing, and climate vulnerability, exacerbating Afghanistan's ongoing economic challenges. The PDNA emphasizes the critical need to transition from immediate humanitarian aid to long-term recovery. Recovery strategies should prioritize building community resilience, service restoration, earthquake-safe housing, livelihoods options, social protection, and access to basic services, especially for the most affected families. The PDNA supports principles of building back better, emphasising women's empowerment and reducing disaster risks and enhancing climate resilience. This first-of-its-kind, multi-partner joint assessment since August 2021 showcases an international resolve to address the needs of disaster-affected communities and support their recovery. The assessment – launched in October 2023 – relied on field data, publicly available information, and remote sensing analytics.
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Publication
02 July 2023
United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan
The past several years have been extremely challenging for the people of Afghanistan. Already suffering from decades of conflict and instability, Afghanistan’s human rights, governance, humanitarian, and development situations deteriorated sharply after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. This transition impacted not only the political and security situations but also had particularly severe implications for human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. The country’s economy contracted by about 30 per cent between 2020 and 2022. With 24.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 9 in 10 living in poverty, the country is in the midst of a crisis on an unprecedented scale.
The United Nations and its partners recognize that humanitarian aid alone will not be enough to sustainably address the large-scale and increasing human suffering of the Afghan people in the medium and long term. As such, humanitarian efforts should be complemented and reinforced with interventions addressing basic human needs that aim to reduce the humanitarian caseload over time and support Afghans, particularly women, girls, and other vulnerable groups, to a) build resilience to shocks, b) sustain livelihoods, c) protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, d) strengthen social cohesion and build social capital, and e) preserve hard-won development gains achieved over the past two decades, including with regard to service delivery. This approach is also important for the identification and achievement of durable solutions to displacement caused by conflict, climate change, and sudden onset natural disasters.
In close consultations with our Member States, partners, and stakeholders, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) has identified three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities as it supports the basic human needs of the Afghan people.
Priority 1: Sustained Essential Services
Priority 2: Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods
Priority 3: Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Rule of Law
With the Humanitarian Country Team, the UNCT has also agreed on two collective outcomes: to 1) reduce food insecurity and 2) reduce maternal and child mortality rates. Partners across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus have agreed to work together toward these outcomes.
The United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan articulates the UN’s approach to addressing basic human needs in Afghanistan. Anchored in the principle of leaving no one behind, the UN Strategic Framework prioritizes the needs and rights of those most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, ethnic and religious minorities, geographically isolated communities, sexual and gender minorities, the Kuchi community, persons with disabilities, human rights defenders, people who use drugs, and people living with and affected by HIV.
This Strategic Framework is an offer of assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Whether the UN can implement this framework depends in part on external factors, most notably on actions by the de facto authorities and on donor support. The UN expects to be deeply engaged in maintaining and expanding the access and operational space necessary for implementation.
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Publication
19 November 2023
BORDER CONSORTIUM, 5- 11 NOVEMBER 2023
Since 15 September, there has been a notable surge in the number of returnees to Afghanistan, taking place primarily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings. The announcement on 3 October by Pakistan’s national Apex Committee of the plan1 to repatriate over a million foreigners without valid documents, mostly Afghans triggered a consistent and steep increase in the number of undocumented and ACC-Card holders Afghan crossing the numbers. This culminated at the beginning of November in line with the ultimatum of 1 November given to illegal foreigners residing in Pakistan by Pakistan’s Minister of Interior.
There have been over 327,000 returnees recorded during this period, with numbers increasing from less than 200 per day in early October to more than 17,000 by early November. This influx, consisting largely of spontaneous returns, also includes a growing number of deportations
There have been over 327,000 returnees recorded during this period, with numbers increasing from less than 200 per day in early October to more than 17,000 by early November. This influx, consisting largely of spontaneous returns, also includes a growing number of deportations
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Publication
24 October 2022
BRIEF NO. 1: MEDIA RESTRICTIONS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN AFGHANISTAN
SUMMARY
After nearly 20 years of international investment and successful efforts to build a diverse media landscape and strengthen journalism standards, the Afghan media sector has fundamentally changed for the worse since the Taliban (also referred herein to as the de facto authorities) takeover on 15 August 2021.
Before mid-August 2021, dedicated initiatives and investment focused on increasing the number of women working in the media across a diversity of roles, training and equipping them with valuable skills and expertise, as well as a substantive focus on women’s rights and gender equality in the media content, including on how gender inequality is a driver of conflict.
The Taliban has sought to bring the Afghan media under its control, prohibiting broadcasts and publications that criticize Taliban rule and/or are incompatible with the group’s interpretation of Islamic and Afghan values.
There is no universal experience across the changed media environment, as the level of subnational variation is notable. The position of individual de facto leaders on media freedom varies according to their personal viewpoints and relationship to the media in the past, and their perception of the value of media to extend the credibility and authority of the Taliban in the eyes of the target audience.
Despite subnational variations, nationwide trends are becoming increasingly discernible, clear and solidified. Although in some cases the level of discretion may be higher, rules and practices are consistent and congruent – continuous harassment, attacks, and detention of journalists, the requirement for women journalists to cover their face when on air, and various tactics which combined lead to self-censorship and exclusion of women from the media. This indicates a systematic and coherent effort to muzzle the media and exclude women – their faces, perspectives, and experiences – from public spaces.
Afghans across the country have grown to rely on television, radio, and other forms of media for information on a wide range of concerns. For some Afghans, including those now outside the country, social media – especially Facebook – has become an alternative media platform. However, without reliable, diverse, and independent media, all Afghans are denied access to information and plurality of opinions and ideas.
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Story
13 March 2024
Investing in Afghanistan's Women is more critical than ever
Afghanistan's people have faced extraordinary hardship in recent years. Decades of conflict compounded by natural disasters and the impacts of climate change have brought immense suffering – particularly for women, whose rights have eroded significantly. As UN Resident Coordinator and on behalf of the UN team on the ground, I reiterate our commitment to maintain our focus on strengthening investments for women in Afghanistan – support that is more critical than ever.Delivering as One in Afghanistan: The Special Trust FundIn October 2021, the UN established the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA). Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, this fund aims to meet urgent human needs across the country while complementing ongoing humanitarian efforts. By pooling resources, it directly supports the most vulnerable Afghans and actively champions women's rights.Since its creation, the Fund has been a powerful tool for joined up, cross-agency action. It brings together the diverse strengths of 17 UN agencies, funds, and programmes, allowing us to work collaboratively. The Fund promotes comprehensive local solutions that span from essential services to livelihoods and risk management. It supports programmes aligned with the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025, aiming to make a real difference in people's lives.As Resident Coordinator, my office and I play a crucial role in driving this unified effort, drawing on the shared plan outlined in the Strategic Framework. In my role as Humanitarian Coordinator alongside the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, we combine our resources to deliver the support Afghans desperately need, avoiding unnecessary duplication and maximizing our impact. Our approach is designed to be flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing situation in Afghanistan.Focus on women and girlsThe UN team in Afghanistan uses the Fund to tackle complex issues with an approach that empowers women as agents of positive change, precisely to tackle the dire constraints for women and girls in the countries. Gender equality is central to our work. With the unprecedented challenges Afghan women and girls face, we follow a “by women, for women” approach – prioritizing women-led initiatives and giving them the tools to succeed. Since 2021, the Fund has supported over 1.67 million women across Afghanistan.For example, the Fund has enabled the creation of more than 90 ‘Family Health Houses’ – community clinics staffed by local midwives who offer essential reproductive, maternal, and child health care. Access to these services gives women greater control over their health, their lives, and their futures.
Beyond health, the Fund supports education. Afghanistan’s female literacy rate sits at a worrying 23 per cent – even lower in rural areas. To combat this, the Fund enables local programmes that teach literacy, numeracy, and various income-generating skills. These initiatives create opportunities, improve health, and help manage risks in the community.Since economic independence is crucial for women, the Fund targets micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) owned by women. With access to capital, skills, and markets, women entrepreneurs can thrive. Even as employment opportunities are restricted, women-led businesses help meet families’ needs and strengthen the overall economy. Remarkably, over 70 per cent of MSMEs supported by the Fund are women-owned, a testament to the impact of direct investment. This represents over 3,200 enterprises able to sustain or grow operations and employ more people, including women, in their communities.As with the rest of the world, natural disasters weigh heavily on Afghanistan, disproportionately affecting women. The Fund promotes climate-resilient infrastructure, like water systems, clinics, and shelters, with women at the forefront of decision-making to ensure their needs are prioritized.Opening doors, overcoming challengesThe UN’s work in Afghanistan is fraught with challenges, especially restrictions affecting women’s roles in local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). But we remain firm in our commitment. While we adapt our methods, we will not compromise our core principles of non-discrimination and women’s meaningful involvement in their country’s progress.Women-led organizations such as NGOs, MSMEs and others are vital for women and girls’ participation, leadership, and essential services, especially in contexts like Afghanistan. Therefore, a core priority for the Fund in 2024-2025 is to further invest in women’s empowerment by supporting these organizations. Our focus includes long-term solutions for internally displaced persons and returnees and aid for post-earthquake recovery in western Afghanistan. Our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains unwavering, especially noting that investing in women and girls plays a catalytic role in boosting gains across all Goals. The Special Trust Fund illustrates how the Resident Coordinator's Office can bridge immediate and long-term needs while supporting peacebuilding efforts. It offers both immediate relief and long-term solutions driven by the communities themselves. Though progress has been made, we must scale up investments in women, as donor support, unfortunately, shows a declining trend.I am inspired daily by the courage of the Afghan people, especially the women who tirelessly fight for a better future. The UN remains steadfast in its pledge to ensure that Afghan women and girls can fully reclaim their rights. The world must stand with them.This blog was written by the UN Deputy Special Representative, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte.
Beyond health, the Fund supports education. Afghanistan’s female literacy rate sits at a worrying 23 per cent – even lower in rural areas. To combat this, the Fund enables local programmes that teach literacy, numeracy, and various income-generating skills. These initiatives create opportunities, improve health, and help manage risks in the community.Since economic independence is crucial for women, the Fund targets micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) owned by women. With access to capital, skills, and markets, women entrepreneurs can thrive. Even as employment opportunities are restricted, women-led businesses help meet families’ needs and strengthen the overall economy. Remarkably, over 70 per cent of MSMEs supported by the Fund are women-owned, a testament to the impact of direct investment. This represents over 3,200 enterprises able to sustain or grow operations and employ more people, including women, in their communities.As with the rest of the world, natural disasters weigh heavily on Afghanistan, disproportionately affecting women. The Fund promotes climate-resilient infrastructure, like water systems, clinics, and shelters, with women at the forefront of decision-making to ensure their needs are prioritized.Opening doors, overcoming challengesThe UN’s work in Afghanistan is fraught with challenges, especially restrictions affecting women’s roles in local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). But we remain firm in our commitment. While we adapt our methods, we will not compromise our core principles of non-discrimination and women’s meaningful involvement in their country’s progress.Women-led organizations such as NGOs, MSMEs and others are vital for women and girls’ participation, leadership, and essential services, especially in contexts like Afghanistan. Therefore, a core priority for the Fund in 2024-2025 is to further invest in women’s empowerment by supporting these organizations. Our focus includes long-term solutions for internally displaced persons and returnees and aid for post-earthquake recovery in western Afghanistan. Our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains unwavering, especially noting that investing in women and girls plays a catalytic role in boosting gains across all Goals. The Special Trust Fund illustrates how the Resident Coordinator's Office can bridge immediate and long-term needs while supporting peacebuilding efforts. It offers both immediate relief and long-term solutions driven by the communities themselves. Though progress has been made, we must scale up investments in women, as donor support, unfortunately, shows a declining trend.I am inspired daily by the courage of the Afghan people, especially the women who tirelessly fight for a better future. The UN remains steadfast in its pledge to ensure that Afghan women and girls can fully reclaim their rights. The world must stand with them.This blog was written by the UN Deputy Special Representative, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte.
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Story
20 January 2024
Afghanistan's recovery hinges on international assistance, reviving productive sectors and reinstating women's rights
Kabul, 18 January 2024 – UNDP Afghanistan released new data today in a report depicting a bleak socio-economic scenario in the country, since August 2021.
Restrictions on women's rights and an almost collapsed banking system are identified as major areas of concern, needing international cooperation. Analyzing the latest macro and household-level data, the report reveals some progress in certain areas, - including overall macro-economic stability, security, and control of opium production and illicit trade - but notes that it has not been enough to change the country’s trajectory. Moreover, seven out of ten Afghans are unable to fulfil their basic needs for food, healthcare, employment and other daily requirements.
The report, titled “Two Years in Review: Changes in Afghan Economy, Households and Cross Cutting Sectors”, shows that the Afghan economy has not recovered from the significant shrinkage experienced since 2020, and appears to be stabilizing at a very low level of economic activity with high poverty and unemployment levels.
Among the key reasons for this are the restrictions on the banking sector, trade disruptions, weakened and isolated public institutions, and lack of foreign investment and donor support for the productive sectors – such as agriculture and manufacturing. Public institutions, particularly in the economic sector, continue losing technical expertise and capabilities, including women employees, further exacerbating challenges.
The report also adds that the humanitarian and economic crises and restrictions on women’s rights have had a severe impact on the country’s female population. It notes that in addition to having limited access to public spaces, women now consume less food, and are experiencing greater income inequality compared to men. Alarmingly, the proportion of women in employment across all sectors has dropped dramatically, nearly halving from 11% in 2022 to just 6% in 2023.
Introducing the Subsistence-Insecurity Index (SII), the report utilises 17 non-monetary indicators across three dimensions to measure deprivation. It highlights that 69 percent of Afghans are subsistence insecure and face a scarcity of essential amenities such as healthcare, basic goods, living conditions, and employment opportunities.
“International assistance has helped save millions of Afghans from starvation, sustained delivery of essential social services, and ensured the continuation of hundreds of thousands of livelihoods,” said Stephen Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan. “However, humanitarian assistance is declining at a time when an overwhelming majority of the Afghan population remain highly vulnerable, and subsistence-insecurities remain very high. The assistance and efforts require complementary investment to stimulate the recovery of the private sector, financial system, and overall production capacity of the economy.”
The report stresses the need to address challenges in the banking system, including the microfinance sector, which is crucial for financing women-led micro and small enterprises that have experienced a 60% contraction since 2021. Urgent remedial actions are essential to prevent further decline.
To sustain livelihoods and foster lasting recovery and prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, the report calls for a comprehensive approach, that would integrate local economic development, resilience against shocks, and robust private sector-led growth. Women’s economic participation must be at the forefront of any efforts aimed at addressing the crises in Afghanistan.
The two years in review report is available online.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cedric Monteiro, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub: cedric.monteiro@undp.org
S. Omer Sadaat, UNDP Afghanistan: sayed.omer@undp.org
This article was first published by UNDP.
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Story
13 December 2023
Revealing the Truth and Transparency of Assistance: UN and Local Media Partnership in Afghanistan
The United Nations is committed to delivering crucial services, fostering economic opportunities, promoting gender equality, safeguarding human rights, and providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. As the UN intensified its support for the Afghan population, mis-disinformation and unfounded criticisms about the organization began to circulate. In today's digital era, false information can rapidly propagate, leading to confusion and eroding trust. The United Nations Resident Coordination Office in Afghanistan recognized the importance of countering false narratives and embarked on joint field missions with local media and journalists to highlight the impact of the UN’s work on the daily lives of Afghan people.
Afghanistan has a population of approximately 43 million, with less than half actively engaging on social media platforms. Given that much of the information regarding UN programs is disseminated online, connecting with the broader Afghan people presents a considerable challenge. However, nearly every household in Afghanistan possesses a television or, at the very least, a radio. Recognizing this media landscape, the UN Resident Coordination Office in Afghanistan made a strategic decision to collaborate with local radio and television stations. This partnership involved conducting joint field visits to diverse UN project sites, facilitating direct access for media representatives and journalists to interact with beneficiaries of UN assistance. Consequently, this approach ensures the accurate, precise, and factual transmission of information about UN activities to the community through various media channels.
In early November, many Afghans returning from Pakistan found themselves in dire circumstances, further exacerbating the humanitarian challenges within Afghanistan. UN agencies coordinated and facilitated media visits to the border region to heighten the awareness of humanitarian services for the returnees. A total of 10 local media outlets actively participated in this field visit, obtaining direct access to better understand the UN's humanitarian efforts. Concurrently, local media such as Tolo News, Ariana News, Pajhwok Afghan News, and Kilid Media gained direct access to first-hand information, concrete facts, and pertinent figures. This access enabled them to portray an authentic depiction of the substantial humanitarian support extended to returnees, with a particular focus on women and children who constitute 80 Percent of the returnee caseload.
The Power of Media Collaboration
“It was my first joint field mission with the United Nations dedicated to compiling a report tailored for my local audiences,” expressed a journalist from Balkh, a Northern province of Afghanistan.
Reflecting on the experience, one of his journalist colleagues remarked “This opportunity offered a unique glimpse into project sites, enabling us to report firsthand on the tangible impact of the UN's humanitarian services. Such coordinated efforts are invaluable for fostering improved access to information, and we hope for continued collaboration in the future."
The United Nations in Afghanistan is committed to upholding transparency and accountability in its assistance endeavors, aiming to cultivate a responsible media landscape and generate a constructive influence on the lives of the Afghan people. Ensuring access to verified and reliable information is a fundamental right, and collaborative efforts with the media play a pivotal role in fortifying public perception while mitigating the dissemination of mis-and disinformation.
Such coordinated initiatives are crucial in promoting an environment where accurate information prevails, empowering beneficiaries to tell their own story as well as the Afghan community with factual insights to foster trust in humanitarian efforts.
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Story
25 October 2023
As Afghans dig out from deadly quakes, a difficult winter looms
A woman sobs into her dark shawl, her body nestled amid the rubble of Afghanistan’s earthquake-hit village of Naib-Rafi. Nearby, a man digs through the rocky debris, hoping to salvage precious grain.
“As you see, everything we own is buried,” says grandmother Ziba, whose daughter was killed in the quakes that hit Afghanistan this past week. “We can’t dig it out. We can’t even stand on our own two feet.”
The powerful earthquakes that struck Afghanistan’s western Herat province, killing and wounding at least 1,400 people and flattening whole villages, have added to a mountain of hardship facing residents of this impoverished country - as a potentially deadly winter looms.
“These are communities that are already barely able to feed themselves, and every one of these crises pounds them back into utter destitution,” says World Food Programme (WFP) Afghanistan spokesman Philippe Kropf, who went to affected villages after the first earthquakes struck.
“This comes on the back of nearly 40 years of near uninterrupted conflict,” Kropf adds, “of high levels of food insecurity, of five years of drought or drought-like conditions — and an economic downturn two years ago that has destroyed livelihoods and jobs.”
WFP has already reached nearly 34,000 earthquake survivors like Ziba with emergency food assistance, which began distributing within hours after the first quakes struck.
“These earthquakes come at a time when 15 million people - one-third of Afghanistan’s population - do not know where their next meal will come from,” Kropf says. “And yet WFP was forced to cut 10 million people from food assistance this year, due to a massive funding shortfall.”
In the bare tent that she now calls home, grandmother Ziba recalls rushing home after the first earthquake hit. She was lucky enough to be outside.
“I saw my daughters beneath the collapsed walls of the home,” she says. One had a broken leg. The other was dead, leaving her children in their grandmother’s care.
“I was awake all night with the baby,” Ziba says of the youngest, who was crying for lack of milk.
"Lost everything"
The earthquakes mostly killed women and children, humanitarian agencies say. They also killed many livestock, delivering a further blow to communities scratching out a living on subsistence farming and herding.
Visiting earthquake-hit villages, WFP staff saw lines of freshly dug graves. A distraught young man showed them the rubble of his home. Seven family members died in the quake, he said.
A shepherd sat near a pile of rubble, two of his sheep buried in it. He had lost all his livestock, he said, but he had neither the time to mourn those losses nor get a tent to live in. He was too busy digging up dead family members, and bringing injured ones to hospital.
WFP’s emergency rations offer some solace. They include fortified biscuits, along with fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil, yellow split peas and salt.
If funding comes through, WFP aims to continue the food distributions for several months — enough to tide the most destitute families through Afghanistan’s punishing winter.
Fresh funds will also allow WFP to roll out longer-term resilience building programmes, expected to reach another 100,000 people over the next seven months. The initiatives, which can include building irrigation canals or offering training on creating kitchen gardens, give cash to participating communities and help quake-affected people get back on their feet.
Without more funding, however, some quake survivors may not last the winter. “It will be very, very difficult for them,” Kropf says. “They have lost everything.”
The most optimistic are living on hope.
“We will rebuild our home again,” grandmother Ziba says, “if no-one helps us, we will build it on our own.”
This article was first published by the World Food Programme. For more information about the UN's work in Afghanistan, visit afghanistan.un.org
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Story
30 March 2023
Afghanistan: OHCHR alarm over arrests of activists speaking up for women and girls
The de facto Taliban authorities in Afghanistan must immediately release activists detained for advocating for girls’ and women’s rights, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday, expressing alarm over ongoing arrests.
Since the beginning of the year, several civil society activists and journalists have been detained for speaking out against Taliban policies that restrict women and girls’ access to education, work, and most other areas of public life.
“No one should be detained for speaking out in defence of their fundamental rights and the rights of others,” OHCHR Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in a statement.
“Arrest or detention as punishment for the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights, such as the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, is arbitrary under international human rights law,” he added.
Top campaigner arrested
The statement comes in the wake of the latest arrest, which occurred on Monday, according to OHCHR.
Matiullah Wesa, head of PenPath, a civil society organization campaigning for the reopening of girls’ schools, was detained by unidentified individuals who were travelling in an unmarked vehicle. His whereabouts are unknown.
The same persons also entered Mr. Wesa’s home the following day and seized two of his brothers, who were released several hours later.
OHCHR said other activists and journalists have also been detained with no clear information as to their whereabouts, well-being or any charges against them.
Respect human rights
“Detainees’ human rights must be respected, in particular the right to be informed of the reason for their arrest at the time of their arrest, the right to be promptly informed of any charges against them, as well as the right of access to family members and to legal representation,” Mr. Laurence said.
He recalled that Afghanistan is a party to international human rights treaties. As such, Taliban leaders are obliged to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and freedom of peaceful assembly, as well as to provide access to education and the right to work.
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and have effectively barred girls and women from studying and working.
Addressing the Security Council earlier this month, the UN Special Representative there, Roza Otunbayeva, said Afghanistan remains the “most repressive country in the world” for women’s rights.
Source: UN News. More information can be found here.
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Press Release
20 February 2024
UN Reports Staggering US$ 402.9 Million in Recovery Needs Following Last Year’s Earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan
Kabul, 21 February 2024: The United Nations – together with the World Bank, the European Union, and the Asian Development Bank - has released a comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report for Afghanistan's Herat Province, hit by devastating earthquakes in October 2023. The report highlights the scale of the disaster: direct physical damage up to US$ 217 million and losses reaching US$ 78.9 million. The assessment underscores an urgent need for US$ 402.9 million to support the critical recovery and reconstruction efforts in the province. Housing, the most severely affected sector, represents 41 percent (US$ 164.4 million) of the total recovery needs. The earthquakes damaged 49,578 houses, with 13,516 being completely destroyed. Education is second most impacted sector, with 180,000 students and 4,390 teachers currently facing disruptions. The agriculture sector, accounting for the majority of jobs and income in the affected areas, has suffered considerable setbacks. The series of earthquakes on October 7, 11, and 15 killed over 1,500 people and injured more than 2,600 people. The assessment, with UNDP as the technical lead, provides a comprehensive analysis of the earthquakes' devastating effects in Herat. The assessment spans nine districts with roughly 2.2 million people. It reveals that over 275,000 individuals were affected. Among these are 17,358 pregnant women, 17,146 infants, 3,976 people with severe disabilities, 3,207 elderly families, 6,806 women-led households, 3,176 individuals with chronic illnesses, and 147,000 children under 18. Herat, Injil, and Zindajan districts were the hardest hit, with rural and vulnerable communities suffering the most. Besides assessing damage, losses, and recovery and reconstruction needs, the assessment evaluates broader macro-economic and human impacts and proposes principles for a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction framework. It cautions about persistent widespread poverty, slow economic recovery, job scarcity, banking sector instability, adverse impact on mental health and wellbeing, and climate vulnerability, exacerbating Afghanistan's ongoing economic challenges. The earthquakes in Herat have hit vulnerable communities with limited resilience to handle multiple concurrent shocks. The province has been one of those hosting the largest numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan. The displacement due to conflict and drought has had severe impacts on access to services, land, and shelter, and has resulted in unhealthy coping mechanisms. The disaster has further exacerbated insufficient levels of service delivery that predate the earthquakes. The earthquakes have exacerbated gender-based challenges, with women-owned businesses heavily impacted – approximately 60-70% affected and only 10% resuming operations. This has further eroded the situation for women and girls, who are already subjected to severe restrictions, including exclusion from most areas of daily and public life, including access to work and education. The report highlights significant gaps in disaster preparedness and response in Herat, particularly in rural areas, with non-earthquake-resistant vernacular housing. The disproportionate impact on women (58% casualties) underscores the necessity for gender-responsive initiatives and tailored support for diverse population segments. Way forward The PDNA emphasizes the critical need to transition from immediate humanitarian aid to long-term recovery. Recovery strategies should prioritize building community resilience, service restoration, earthquake-safe housing, livelihoods options, social protection, and access to basic services, especially for the most affected families. The PDNA supports principles of building back better, emphasising women's empowerment and reducing disaster risks and enhancing climate resilience. "As the United Nations and partners, we stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in these challenging times. The findings of the PDNA highlight the profound impacts of the earthquakes on the Herat region. We are committed to not only addressing the immediate needs but ensuring a sustainable and resilient recovery for those affected by the earthquakes. This tragedy presents an opportunity to rebuild stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient communities. The PDNA provides a blueprint for recovery and reconstruction aimed at forging a better future for those most affected in Afghanistan," stated Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.This first-of-its-kind, multi-partner joint assessment since August 2021 showcases an international resolve to address the needs of disaster-affected communities and support their recovery. The assessment – launched in October 2023 – relied on field data, publicly available information, and remote sensing analytics. The PDNA partners hope that the assessment will help inform key partners on the needs associated with the disaster and encourage national and international response efforts to mobilize support for timely recovery. The Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank remain steadfast in their commitment to aiding the Afghan people and ensuring a resilient recovery, especially for the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls. For technical queries, please contact Luis Francisco Thais Santa Cruz at luis.francisco.thais@undp.orgFor communications and media queries, please contact Munisa Rashid at munisa.rashid@undp.org Link to report:Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)
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Press Release
29 August 2023
UNFAO receives funding from Japan to support community-based irrigation for enhanced agricultural production in Afghanistan
August 2023- Kabul, Afghanistan: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Government of Japan, facilitated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has launched a four–year project with a budget of USD 9.5 million. The project aims to increase the amount of irrigated land, boost local food production and strengthen the food security and livelihood resilience of more than 12 600 poor food insecure men, women and children in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The project will also provide direct environmental benefits to local communities, helping to protect fragile rangelands and recharge vital groundwater resources, particularly important in the context of increasing climate change impacts.
Agriculture depends on water. Increasing population and growing climate change impacts make access to water ever-more important across Afghanistan, a country where more than 70 percent of food production depends on irrigation. The project will rehabilitate the existing Nurgal irrigation canal in Kunar province, improving both the quantity and reliability of irrigation water for agricultural production and increasing the total command area – the agricultural land irrigated by the canal – by 70 hectares to a total of 643 hectares, leading to both increases in overall agricultural production and increases in productivity of at least 12 percent. Importantly, the project will enable poor food insecure rural households to plant two crops a year, rather than just a single wheat crop, boosting incomes, resilience and food security. The project will also deliver benefits to communities, helping to protect more than 2 000 hectares of fragile rangelands through improved and adapted plant varieties, and recharging vital groundwater resources. The project builds on and enhances the Green Ground Project initiated by Dr. Tetsu Nakamura and Peace (Japan) Medical Services (PMS) to build irrigation systems in the Kunar River Basin from 2003. By 2023, the PMS project has transformed 23 800 hectares of abandoned arid farmlands back to green fields. The beneficiaries have been over 650 000 people.
While addressing the attendees at the project signing ceremony today at the ICON compound, H.E. Takashi Okada, the Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan, stated, "The drastic change by the Green Ground Project brought not only food, water and livelihood but also hopes to people. The success is a testimony to the hard work and resilience of the Afghan people. Japan will work together with FAO on this Dr. Nakamura’s legacy project to enable local communities to manage precious water resources and develop sustainable agriculture. Japan will continue to support Afghans to help themselves so that they can rebuild their livelihood and once again stand on their own feet."
“FAO appreciates the continuous and timely support of the Government of Japan in advancing agriculture, supporting irrigation, bolstering food security, and enhancing livelihoods of local communities across many parts of Afghanistan”, said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan. “Water is life. Water is food. Access to irrigation is ever-more important across Afghanistan, particularly for poor food insecure rural households. Given the evolving impacts of climate change impacts on rural areas, Japan’s generous assistance will significantly boost the agricultural productivity of the most vulnerable, marginalized and food insecure farmers, strengthening both food security and livelihood resilience, and will help protect fragile rangeland and groundwater resources. Moreover, empowering local communities to address water management challenges not only improves social cohesion but also reinforces community ownership and the sustainability of project outcomes,” he added.
Optimizing irrigation infrastructure to enhance food security
The project will establish and optimize the national capacity in managing and utilizing irrigation systems, employing the PMS method. Through the PMS method, the project will promote informed community-based sustainable practices to improve traditional irrigation infrastructure, ensuring a reliable water supply to downstream communities that rely on irrigation for their livelihoods. The project will focus on sustaining functional irrigation facilities, encompassing intake weirs, control gates, cross-drainage structures, culverts, dividers, supper passages, sediment pond structures, regulating gates, and restoration of secondary/tertiary canals in line with the ‘PMS Method Irrigation Project Guidelines’.
As an integral component of the project, the watershed management and rainwater harvesting activities will focus on the flood management and the mitigation of rapid rainwater flows in catchment areas. These efforts will involve the planting adaptable plants, construction of water ponds, check-dams, and other measures for effective rainwater harvesting. The interventions will be determined through consultations with community representatives to optimize canal conveyance capacity, thereby ensuring a reliable water supply within the targeted irrigation systems.
PMS experts will train more than 100 local technical experts in the PMS method. Moreover, 110 water users from the community will receive trainings in operations and maintenance, enabling them to manage the irrigation systems effectively and sustainably, ensuring long-term results and impacts.
In Afghanistan, FAO is dedicated to enhancing resilience in all 34 provinces of the country, strengthening efforts to preserve and revive agricultural livelihoods and local ecosystems. These efforts includes various facets, such as improving the production of nutritious foods, increasing cash incomes, and safeguarding the critical agriculture sector developments achieved over recent decades through the revitalization of rural markets and the economy.
Media contacts:
Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan
Dr. Ibrahim Mohammad,
Email: ibrahim.mohammad@kb.mofa.go.jp
+93786078666
FAO - Afghanistan
Mr. Sayed Maqsod Hashimi,
Email: SayedMaqsod.Hashimi@fao.org
+93787808077
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Press Release
03 July 2023
UN launches new Strategic Framework for supporting Afghan people
The United Nations in Afghanistan issued today its Strategic Framework for Afghanistan for the period 2023-2025, outlining the priorities of the organization in support of the Afghan people. The UN Strategic Framework articulates the UN’s approach to addressing basic human needs in Afghanistan, prioritizing the needs and rights of those most vulnerable, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, ethnic and religious minorities.
“Our Strategic Framework is a robust offer of assistance to the people of Afghanistan to address their basic human needs and complement the ongoing delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva.
The UN Strategic Framework was developed in close consultations with Member States, partners, and stakeholders. The United Nations Country Team and partners have identified three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities as it supports the basic human needs of the Afghan people:
Sustained Essential Services in key sectors such as health, nutrition, education, employment, water, sanitation, hygiene, social protection, and protection that are accessible to all, affordable, and can be delivered free from all forms of discrimination.
Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods through the creation of an enabling environment that facilitates economic growth and the provision of decent work opportunities, especially for excluded groups such as women.
Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law - as prerequisites for sustainable development and peace in Afghanistan - strengthening civil society engagement and advocacy for alignment of Afghanistan’s normative and legal frameworks with international human rights instruments.
“The United Nations and its partners recognize that humanitarian aid alone will not be enough to sustainably address the large-scale and increasing human suffering of the Afghan people in the medium and long term,” said the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Daniel Endres.
The UN Strategic Framework has a special focus on the delivery of principled assistance in response to the increasingly restrictive environment facing all Afghans, in particular women and girls.
The ban against Afghan women working for the UN adds to earlier restrictions placed on Afghan women and girls by the de facto authorities: against women working for NGOs, against women working for other diplomatic entities; preventing girls from attending secondary and tertiary education institutions; against girls and women visiting public parks, baths, and gyms.
These and other edicts limit the physical movement of women and girls and their participation in economic, social and public life. “Whether the UN can fully implement this framework will depend on actions by the de facto authorities and on donor support,” said Mr. Endres.
Link: https://afghanistan.un.org/en/238795-united-nations-strategic-framework-afghanistan
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Press Release
08 March 2023
THE UN IN AFGHANISTAN CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO DRACONIAN RESTRICTIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN & GIRLS BY THE DE FACTO AUTHORITIES
On International Women’s Day, the United Nations in Afghanistan is renewing its call on the country’s de facto authorities to halt and reverse harsh restrictions on the fundamental rights of women and girls.
Since August 2021, the Taliban de facto authorities have demonstrated an almost singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes. These restrictions are at odds with human rights obligations set forth in instruments concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms to which Afghanistan is a State party and by which it is bound, and damage Afghanistan’s prospects of recovering from decades of war.
“Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights, and it has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere,” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
“Confining half of the country’s population to their homes in one of the world’s largest humanitarian and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-harm. It will condemn not only women and girls, but all Afghans, to poverty and aid-dependency for generations to come. It will further isolate Afghanistan from its own citizens and from the rest of the world,” Otunbayeva said.
UNAMA has recorded an almost constant stream of discriminatory edicts and measures against women by the de facto authorities since August 2021.
In September 2021, the de facto authorities suspended girls’ secondary education and, despite public pronouncements to the contrary, extended the suspension indefinitely when classes resumed in March 2022. Although the de facto authorities have said that they are in the process of aligning the school curriculum with Islamic values and cultural norms, no progress has been visible. In December 2022, the de facto Ministry of Higher Education suspended university education for women.
The denial of access to education has innumerable actual and potential physical and psychosocial repercussions, including suicides; child marriage; early childbearing; poverty-related losses such as in regard to health, nutrition, well-being and wealth due to lower earnings; diminished agency, decision-making and related social capital; and increased risk of domestic violence and sexual exploitation and abuse.
Women’s right to travel or work outside the confines of their home and to access public spaces is largely restricted. Women have also been excluded from all levels of public decision-making.
“Afghan women have shown incredible courage and resilience in the face of their ongoing and systematic erasure,” said Alison Davidian, Special Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan.
“The implications of the harm the Taliban are inflicting on their own citizens goes beyond women and girls. It impacts all Afghans and will resonate throughout generations. The rights of women and girls must be restored immediately in order to build an inclusive, peaceful and hopeful Afghanistan.”
Women human rights defenders peacefully protesting have been targeted, beaten, and arrested. Combined, these decrees, directives, and rules limit women’s ability to earn a living, access health care and education, escape violence, and exercise their rights.
In 2023, 13.8 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance – yet the de facto authorities have undermined the unprecedented international aid effort by also banning women working in non-governmental organizations, even though they are crucial to the delivery of life-saving help.
For more information, please contact:
UNAMA: spokesperson-unama@un.org(link sends e-mail)
UN Women: media.team@unwomen.org(link sends e-mail)
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Press Release
22 January 2023
High-level UN delegation led by the Deputy Secretary-General calls on Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities to reverse course on recent decrees limiting women’s and girls’ rights, says Afghans must not be abandoned
On behalf of the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Political, Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Khaled Khiari, completed a four-day visit to Afghanistan to appraise the situation, engage de facto authorities and underscore UN solidarity with the Afghan people.
In meetings with de facto authorities in both Kabul and Kandahar, the delegation directly conveyed the alarm over the recent decree banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations, a move that undermines the work of numerous organizations helping millions of vulnerable Afghans.
The de facto authorities have also recently moved to close universities to female students across the country until further notice, and have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls’ freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses.
“My message was very clear: while we recognize the important exemptions made, these restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that confines them in their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the communities of their services,” Ms Mohammed said.
“Our collective ambition is for a prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours, and on a path to sustainable development. But right now, Afghanistan is isolating itself, in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis and one of the most vulnerable nations on earth to climate change,” she said. “We must do everything we can to bridge this gap.”
During their mission, Ms Mohammed and Ms Bahous met with affected communities, humanitarian workers, civil society and other key actors, in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat.
“We have witnessed extraordinary resilience. Afghan women left us no doubt of their courage and refusal to be erased from public life. They will continue to advocate and fight for their rights, and we are duty bound to support them in doing so,” Ms Bahous said.
“What is happening in Afghanistan is a grave women's right crisis and a wakeup call for the international community. It shows how quickly decades of progress on women´s rights can be reversed in a matter of days. UN Women stands with all Afghan women and girls and will continue to amplify their voices to regain all their rights."
The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 25 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, and remain committed to staying and delivering.
The most recent decrees issued by the de facto authorities banning women from working for NGOs has forced many partners to pause operations which can no longer be safely and meaningfully delivered. While the recent exemptions to the ban introduced by the de facto authorities are opening spaces for humanitarians to continue - and in some cases resume - operations, these remain limited to few sectors and activities.
“The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance is predicated on principles that require full, safe and unhindered access for all aid workers, including women”, Ms Mohammed said.
The visit to Afghanistan followed a series of high-level consultations on Afghanistan across the Gulf and Asia. The delegation met with the leadership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Islamic Development Bank, groups of Afghan women in Ankara and Islamabad and a group of Ambassadors and Special Envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha.
The delegation convened with government leaders from the region and religious leaders to advocate for the crucial role and full participation of women and rally support for the Afghan people.
Throughout the visits, countries and partners recognized the critical role of the UN in building bridges to finding lasting solutions, as well as the urgency to deliver lifesaving support and maintain effective engagement, led by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
They asked that efforts be intensified to reflect the urgency of the situation and stressed the importance of a unified response by the international community.
The need for a revitalized and realistic political pathway was consistently highlighted and all remained firm on the fundamental principles, including women's and girls’ rights to education, work and public life in Afghanistan.
There was broad consensus that the region and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation’s leadership on these issues was critical.
The proposal of an international conference on women and girls in the Muslim World during the month of March 2023 was also considered and agreed in principle.
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General
Farhan Haq, haqf@un.org
UNAMA
spokesperson-unama@un.org
UN Women
media.team@unwomen.org
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