Disaster Response Afghanistan Project #53757

Addressing Humanitarian Needs in Afghanistan

Project Report | Jul 6, 2022
Mobile Health Teams' Treacherous Trek

By Caitlin Bartkus | Specialist, Grants and Reporting

Our mobile health team travel to Nuristan

This will be our final update as International Medical Corps’ emergency response activities following the collapse of the Afghan government are integrated in our long-term programming.

To continue supporting International Medical Corps, please visit our “Responding to the Afghanistan Earthquake” project to learn about our ongoing emergency response efforts.

Learn more about our earthquake response here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/responding-to-the-afghanistan-earthquake/

Since August 2021, International Medical Corps has been expanding its humanitarian assistance in north, east and south Afghanistan and have set up mobile health teams to respond to the increasing humanitarian needs.

One of the areas where International Medical Corps provides healthcare services through mobile health teams is Nuristan province, an area in eastern Afghanistan that is characterized by mountains and river gorges, making travel to the area extremely difficult, especially in winter. Due to poor socioeconomic conditions, lack of adequate healthcare and insufficient health awareness, people in Nuristan are often in poor health, with public health authorities reporting higher morbidity and mortality rates among women and children in the province.

In Doaba, a remote village in the Kamdish district of Nuristan, 57 families live without a road. March is the peak of the melting season—when ice melts and rivers rise—and the community uses a cradle bridge to transport lifesaving supplies.

In March 2022, International Medical Corps deployed its mobile health team—which includes a doctor, a midwife and a vaccine specialist, as well as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and protection counselors, a health educator and a hygiene promoter—to Doaba. The team arrived in the village and provided primary healthcare, psychological first-aid services, education about protection services, health and hygiene education and mental health counseling. In total, 40 patients were served by the mobile team.

“Thanks to International Medical Corps, we no longer have to go vast distances for support and healthcare services,” said Humayoun, a community representative. “When our children are ill, our malak [a village representative] meets with the mobile team leader who regularly visits our community. God bless these physicians who genuinely care about our health!”

International Medical Corps is highly significant in Nuristan. Hamayoun believes that having mobile health teams is advantageous, given the area’s demands and topography. Hygiene and mental health services, and the presence of a midwife in the mobile teams, help meet the community’s health needs, especially those of pregnant and nursing women.

“We want International Medical Corps to expand its humanitarian help to other rural places where people desperately need medical services,” said Hamayoun. “We need them to continue visiting Doaba village and reach other areas.”

International Medical Corps is grateful for all of the support from GlobalGiving and its community of donors. Together, we have helped respond to the increasing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.

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Jun 22, 2022
Responding to Afghanistan's Most Urgent Needs

By Kathan Reddy | Project Assistant

Our team providing healthcare in Kabul

In Afghanistan, the humanitarian conditions continue to worsen. Between continued local political instability and rippling disruptions to essential supply chains as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, the situation was already dire. This harvest season represented the last real chance for the Afghan agricultural sector to rescue the nation, but a brutal drought has effectively destroyed that possibility.

Already, 70 percent of households are entirely unable to provide food and non-food items for their families — especially in households headed by widows, the elderly, and those with disabilities — and approximately 3 million children are at risk of malnutrition and weakened immunity. The healthcare sector is on the verge of absolute collapse, as most healthcare workers have not received pay in months, women receive minimal access to reproductive support, and clinics and hospitals are all but out of critical drugs and supplies. With thousands of people forced to beg in the streets as the economy deteriorates, it should come as no surprise that the country is on track to have 97 percent of the population facing extreme poverty.

In the face of this desperation, International Medical Corps is on the ground, expanding its humanitarian operations in the north, east and south of the nation. Since August of last year, mobile teams have been in action all over the country: in April alone, we reached 80,927 people with health, hygiene and protection services.

In Afghanistan, we operate15 mobile health teams and support 11 first-aid trauma posts, 11 static health centers and a 50-bed COVID-19 hospital that work together to provide vital healthcare services. During the month of April, nearly 32,000 people received outpatient consultations, 862 children were fully immunized, 2,569 women received antenatal and postnatal care, and 1,071 women received family planning services. Static locations also managed 113 deliveries for local women and provided trauma care for 972 more. International Medical Corps also provided three hospitals and two comprehensive health centers with lifesaving medicines and medical supplies that supported 1,679 major and minor surgeries.

Mobile teams were additionally responsible for mental health support and community education sessions. In total, 18,303 individuals received basic mental health support during one-on-one and group psychological assistance. Nearly 25,000 individuals were reached during hygiene and health education sessions. These concerned everything from COVID-19 prevention and vaccination, to menstruation, pregnancy care, diarrhea, tuberculosis/malaria transmission, early detection of breast cancer and more.

Despite International Medical Corps’ best efforts, however, circumstances all around the country are still dire. All of our work is only made possible by the generosity of GlobalGiving, its community and other donors. International Medical Corps remains committed to our life-saving operations for the vulnerable men, women, and children of Afghanistan.

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Feb 22, 2022
Reaching Vulnerable Communities in Afghanistan

By Caitlin Bartkus | Associate Specialist, Resource Development

The community uses a water tap our team installed

Afghanistan is descending into a humanitarian crisis. Against the backdrop of an already dire situation, following 40 years of war, economic decline, inflation and rising poverty, in 2021 Afghanistan faced intensified conflict, its worst drought in 27 years, the withdrawal of international forces and, in August, the collapse of the government. Some 24.4 million people—55% of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2022, which is a staggering 30% increase from last year.

Our team in Afghanistan is committed to supporting this vulnerable population. International Medical Corps has been responding to increasing healthcare, psychosocial support and hygiene needs. To date, we have deployed five mobile health teams in Kabul to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps, reaching 70,173 people so far. We also have deployed three mobile teams in Nuristan province, serving a population of 92,362 people.

Alongside this, we have provided lifesaving medicines and medical supplies to three hospitals and two comprehensive health centers. This includes Nangarhar regional hospital, one of the central hospitals in the eastern regions. It is important to keep Nangarhar regional hospital functioning, as it is a main hub for health-related services. Overall, through these efforts, International Medical Corps has supported more than 115,000 patients.

Our team also addresses needs related to water, sanitation and hygiene. Since August, we have distributed 4,000 hygiene kits to vulnerable people in eastern Afghanistan, and constructed two water-pipe systems in Nangarhar province, providing 6,100 people with clean water.

The generous support from GlobalGiving and its community of donors is helping make our efforts in Afghanistan possible.

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