Feed the Hungry,Warm the Cold-Support Afghanistan

Afghanistan has gone through many straggles and now is on the brink of “universal poverty”. UNDP announced that 97 percent of the population is at risk of dropping below the poverty line. The “poverty line” is considered as a barrier for estimating the level of capability for survival; it means that 97% of people (almost 35million persons) live with an income less than 1$ per day.

The country’s political and economic crises further devastate the country. Ban on women’s employment is a crisis for families who are fed by single moms, widows, elder girl-siblings and daughters who had the capacity to be the breadwinners for their families.

A 37 year old Gulnoor (this name and all other names that follow are not real names due to safety purposes), lives in the east Kabul with her 6 kids (4 girls and 2 boys). Her eldest children – Masuma and Maryam (are 14 and 12 years old, respectively), followed by a 10 year old  Akbar, and 8, 6 and 3 year old children. Their father (Mohammad Azeem, 42 year old), although educated (had completed his 12th grade years ago in the local school in Alawdin area), was unable to find a job and was selling fresh vegetables in the corner of the street for many years to feed his family. During Covid-19 he loaned 20,000 Afghani (220$) from the shopkeeper next door, to be able to buy the necessary food items for his family, but also to buy some vegetables that he could sell on the corner of the street. Recently, after 3 years he collected the amount he loaned and went to pay his loan. The shopkeeper asked for an interest plus (an amount of 7,000 Afghani (95$)). Gulnoor's hasband could not pay it, as it was all that he could make to repay the loan. The shopkeeper pushed him, hitting him in his chest. As he fell back his head hit a big stone, due to which he passed away after being in coma for three consequent days.

During the last 20 years the country faced terrorist’s attacks, and many people were mourning their loved ones dying of bomb-blasts or being killed in the army, but today, as the whole country is controlled by the de-facto authorities the poverty kills people through a silent death.

Gulnoor and her children, same as many other families need to survive these dark days. Neither she, nor her daughters are allowed to work. The only breadwinner of her family is her 10 year old son.

We believe that by putting in a small donation for “humanity” we can contribute to the survival of such families, while remaining hopeful that one day the systems of governance will be restored and all families would have a possibility to make an income that would help them stay warm in the winter and have enough food to keep healthy.

Thank you for supporting AfD, who works on the ground to channel your donation to the ones who needs it the most.