In the major humanitarian crisis Afghanistan is facing, the EU has launched projects worth €268.3 million, stepping up vital support to the Afghan population. The EU support focuses on maintaining education, sustaining livelihoods, and protecting public health, including for refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people. It is channeled through United Nations agencies working in Afghanistan (UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNHCR, WHO, IOM) and benefits the Afghan population directly. Two projects support human rights defenders and Civil Society Organisations.
Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “Leaving no one behind is a key principle of the EU’s engagement in the world. Today, we are demonstrating what we have said many times: we will not abandon the Afghan people. I am pleased that we are addressing basic human needs and supporting livelihoods under the clear parameters set out by the Foreign Affairs Council. The projects focus on health, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, and education, in particular for women and girls. We are also supporting income-generating activities, food security, and local markets. We have reacted quickly to alleviate the suffering of the population and preserve a future for the Afghan people, especially women and youth.”
Education, Health, Livelihoods
Seven EU projects, worth a total of €186 million, support health, education, and livelihoods for Afghans and will be implemented through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
- Emergency cash support to teachers to sustain children’s learning in public schools – This €50 million project implemented by UNICEF will provide the around 194,000 public teachers nationwide with emergency cash support of around €90 per month for two months during the harsh wintertime. This will indirectly benefit more than 8,8 million children in the ages 6 to 18.
- School Meals Support to Girls and Boys – Implemented by the WFP in collaboration with UNICEF, this €11 million project will ensure the provision of food at school and to take home for boys and girls in primary school. For girls in the secondary level, the EU will also support cash transfers for their households conditional on girls’ school attendance.
- Mitigate the health effects of the COVID-19 emergency in Afghanistan – €10 million in EU support will improve testing, surveillance, and hospital facilities to deal with COVID-19, working through the WHO.
- Mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through improved access to nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, and gender-based violence prevention – This €25 million project will mitigate the health and nutrition effects of COVID-19 on women and children in Afghanistan, working through UNICEF.
- Work towards the eradication of polio, which still prevails in Afghanistan – This €25 million project, implemented by UNICEF and the WHO, will allow for polio vaccine procurement and other measures.
- Food and cash for work support worth €50 million – Working with the WFP, the EU will increase food security for around 450,000 persons receiving food or cash when taking part in work programs to boost food production.
- Sustain livelihoods, in particular for women – Working with UNDP, this €15 million project will allow around 23,000 entrepreneurs, mainly women, to receive technical and/or financial support to develop and expand their businesses.
Forced displacement and migration
The EU has launched another five projects for a total of €79 million to address forced displacement and migration in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asia, working with UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, IOM, and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
- Afghan Children on the Move affected by Irregular Migration – Implemented by UNICEF, this €15 million project will notably support unaccompanied children in Afghanistan by contributing to protection measures, basic services, and reintegration. It will also work towards assuring equal access to education, protection, health, and nutrition for Afghan displaced children and youth, their families, and vulnerable host communities, as well as and support indebted families, reducing the number of families taking their children out of school or opting for child marriage.
- Support to Afghan refugees and displaced people in Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan – This €34 million project, implemented by UNHCR, will aim to enable durable solutions for Afghans on the move, including improving access to basic services, increased economic self-reliance, and protection.
- Support to Displaced Afghans in Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan – Implemented by IOM, this €15 million project will improve access to health and education, and create economic opportunities for vulnerable Afghans and their host communities in Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, with a focus on specific needs of women and girls.
- Support to vulnerable Afghans and host communities in Iran – In cooperation with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), this EU project worth €14 million will increase access to rights, protection, and essential services for vulnerable Afghans and their host communities, as well as improve livelihoods and access to sustainable income. The project will notably allow the construction and equipping of classrooms and health facilities.
- Enhancing the capacities of Surkhandarya region in Uzbekistan to educate and train Afghan citizens – This €1 million project, implemented by UNDP, will increase educational opportunities for Afghan citizens, with a particular focus on youth and women.
In addition, the EU is increasing its support to Afghan Human Rights Defenders at Risk and Civil Society Organisations during this very challenging period with two projects worth €3.3 million.
