UNHCR’s response to the growing needs of Afghans
The situation has challenged the resilience of the Afghan people, for whom it is difficult to meet their basic needs. In the coming months, the vulnerability of Afghans will further be exacerbated by harsh winter conditions in the country. With makeshift shelters, protection against the cold is much more urgent and the need for life-saving assistance is raised to a heighted alert. Compounded by the challenges of conflict and COVID-19 pandemic, forcibly displaced Afghan people are at their most vulnerable.
The international community has come to aid Afghanistan in their dire need. As the leading UN agency protecting people forced to flee, UNHCR is directly responding by providing shelter and emergency supplies and reinforcing the protection of those affected through a holistic coordinated response, working closely with other humanitarian partners.
In mid-September, UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi visited the UNHCR warehouse in Kabul accompanied by UNHCR Representative for Afghanistan, Caroline Van Buren. During his urgent three-day mission to Afghanistan, he oversaw the arrival of a convoy of trucks from Pakistan carrying tents and other relief items for displaced Afghan families. The call for continued humanitarian solidarity is now more urgent than ever.
“As living conditions in Afghanistan worsen, UNHCR, with other humanitarian organizations, is stepping up emergency aid programmes for thousands of people. Cash, tents, hygiene kits and other relief items are distributed daily to women and men in need including displaced people.”
– Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 remains a priority. To help reduce the risk of as much as possible, UNHCR is providing buckets and jerry cans in its relief kits to displaced families. These supplies are especially important in areas where access to clean water is difficult. UNHCR has also established hand-washing stations and distributed hygiene kits including soap and face masks. In addition, we are providing emergency cash support to help displaced families mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
UNHCR has also undertaken protection monitoring covering 32 provinces in 2021 and as part of the broader UN effort, helped assess the needs of almost 400,000 internally displaced people since the start of the year. But more humanitarian aid is urgently needed. We are ramping up our response, and we need support to protect and assist people forced to flee.
Why do we need to act with urgency?
This latest wave of violence comes on top of recurrent natural disasters such as the current devastating drought. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had far-reaching health impacts as well as socio-economic repercussions. Less than 4 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.
Afghans already constitute one of the world’s largest refugee populations worldwide. Some 90 per cent of Afghan refugees are hosted in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan, with more than 2.2 million registered in the two countries. Another 3 million people were already displaced inside the country before new fighting broke out this year.
Afghanistan’s children are growing up amid this crisis. Some 65 per cent of the Afghan people – in and outside of Afghanistan – are children and young people, anxious about their future in the face of insecurity and economic challenges.
The resilience of Afghan families is being stretched to breaking point. The situation in Afghanistan was already complex, and failure to resolve the current instability will lead to new displacement.
“I hope that the focus on Afghanistan will continue and that it will not go away after a few weeks. UNHCR is here for the long run.”
— Caroline Van Buren, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan
How can the private sector help in the response?
The role of the private sector in responding to this escalating humanitarian crisis is nothing less than critical. Thanks to the quick action and compassion of our private sector partners, we are already making a difference on the ground. This year so far, UNHCR has provided food, shelter, cash, hygiene, sanitary kits and other lifesaving assistance, together with partners, to more than 230,000 people in Afghanistan. The private sector plays a crucial role in supporting all emergencies, not only in terms of mobilizing financial resources but also in terms of expertise and talents, and flexible funding allows us to respond in a timely and effective way as well as to prepare, prevent and respond to any new emergency within the emergency that may occur in the future.
But needs remain. UNHCR is urgently appealing for $62.8 million, which includes the emergency response for internally displaced families in Afghanistan as well as preparedness measures in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
To find the latest figures, please visit our Data Portal. You can also read the latest external updates on our Global Focus website.