Humanitarian concerns for Afghanistan are as complex as they are persistent. The humanitarian landscape includes a backdrop of chronic and emergency levels of food and nutrition insecurity further complicated by conflict displacement, recurring natural disasters, and unprecedented numbers of Afghans returning from neighboring countries and abroad.
This year, more than 9.3 million Afghans require some level of humanitarian assistance. The intensity of the conflict has steadily mounted over the last few fighting seasons, causing increasing numbers of civilian casualties and high levels of displacement. The combination of the increase of conflict-affected internally displaced people and the surge in returnees has severely strained the capacity of local communities, humanitarian agencies, and the Afghan government. USAID partners with 15 NGOs and UN humanitarian agencies and has contributed over $100 million in fiscal year 2017 to meet humanitarian needs countrywide. USAID humanitarian funding comes from the mission, the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and the Office of Food for Peace. Last year alone, USAID reached over 2.5 million vulnerable Afghans by providing them with emergency shelter kits, food and nutrition assistance, hygiene products and awareness, community-based disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness training, winter clothing and blankets, emergency health and trauma care, and access to clean drinking water. With humanitarian needs on the rise, USAID expects to provide nearly 3 million people with lifesaving relief and assistance.
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Original source: USAID.
Posted on 11 October 2017
