Nourish Food Insecure Afghans in Afghanistan

In the beginning of November, a devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan impacting over 3,000 families in the region.

AAFF responded to this need by providing families each with 14 kilos of rice, 50 kilos of flour, 4 kilos chickpeas, 5 liters of oil, and a large two-person blanket. In this distribution we were able to support 170 families who were impacted by the earthquake, returnees from neighboring countries, or women-led households.

Additionally, we hired women to make the blankets that were included in the distribution. Many of the women were from women-led households and some were so eager for work that they agreed to the job before they knew how much they would earn.

The women chose how many blankets they wanted to make. Generally, women make between one and four blankets. This small job made a big impact in 80 women’s lives as it made it possible for them to provide for some of their families’ essential needs this month. 

One woman said, “Our financial situation is difficult. Last year, I made two blankets and used the money I earned to buy shoes and slippers for myself and my children. This year, we received two more blanket kits. I plan to use the money from this year to buy winter clothes, as we don’t have enough.”

One of aid recipients was both an earthquake-impacted family and returnees from Iran. 

They explained their situation,

“I am a returnee from Iran who recently came back to Afghanistan with my family. We returned with very limited resources, hoping to rebuild our lives, but soon after our arrival the earthquake in Balkh province severely affected our home and living conditions. The disaster destroyed our shelter and the few belongings we had, leaving us with no stable place to live and no means to meet our basic needs. As a returnee family, we had no land, no income, and no support network here. This aid gave us reassurance and a sense of stability, especially for our children, who were scared after the earthquake and our difficult return from Iran.” 

Many of the recipients of the food aid and blankets are struggling to repair or rebuild their homes. We saw some homes where a room had collapsed, but many of the homes were still standing. However, many of the homes have large cracks in the mud walls, and the residents are very concerned they will eventually collapse.

Winter has arrived in northern Afghanistan, and it is a struggle to stay warm, especially in the poor conditions of these earthquake-impacted homes. Although we wish we had the means to assist families with the repairs of their homes, we are grateful we could support them with staple food supplies and a warm blanket. Thank you for your support that has made this possible!