Winterization Aid for Afghan communities

Afghanistan stands at a critical juncture, grappling with an escalating humanitarian crisis that has pushed the entire population into poverty. The country remains within the top 3 of the International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Watchlist for 2023, a position underscored by severe economic collapse. Consequently, there remains an urgent need for support among 28.8 million Afghans, nearly 60% from the previous year. The resulting challenges of food insecurity, unemployment, and access to essential services make humanitarian interventions imperative.

Amid Afghanistan’s challenging conditions, Action for Development (AfD) remains steadfast in its commitment to alleviating human suffering through its humanitarian efforts, guided by the fundamental principles of providing relief in response to emergencies. To maximize the impact of the generous funds provided by GlobalGiving, AfD strategically divided its aid distribution to address the seasonal challenges faced by vulnerable families. Resources were allocated for both summer and winter, focusing more on the winter due to the severe impact of cold weather, lack of income, and insufficient crops. During the summer, AfD provided food assistance to families of street-working children, recognizing their immediate needs. In the winter, understanding the intensified hardships, the aid was diversified to include not only these families but also rural impoverished families, ensuring both groups received essential support to navigate the harsh realities of the season.

Two-Fold Winterization Assistance

1. Support for Street-Working Children: This project targeted the immediate needs of children working on the streets and their families. By providing coal for heating and rice and oil for nutrition, AfD aimed to mitigate the winter’s harsh impact, which took place between 15 December 2023 and 30 January 2024. The beneficiaries, mainly women and children acting as the primary earners of their families, live in extreme poverty. During this period, 220 families received support (approximately 1540 individuals). Of these, 170 families were inhabitants of Kabul province, and 50 families inhabitants of Parwan province.

2. Aid for Adults and Broader Families: Recognizing the broader community’s struggles, especially during the winter months when income opportunities dwindle and crops fail, AfD expanded its support to include the distribution of flour and rice to adults. This initiative allowed 60 families, nearly 450 individuals, located in Parwan province to receive sustenance essential for enduring the winter, considering the prevalent lack of income and crops, and helped to alleviate the food insecurity that grips vulnerable families during the coldest months.

Impact and Beneficiary Feedback

The winterization aid has profoundly impacted on the lives of the beneficiaries, most of whom are women and children, acting as the primary earners for their families and families living off of less than $1 per day. Testimonials from recipients like Sadiq, an 11-year-old student at the Working Children School, and Rahmatullah, an unemployed father, highlight the difference these packages make: “We are very grateful and very happy for these food items. These will help us survive at least months of extreme winter in Kabul.” 

The Winterization Aid Project 2024 reflects AfD’s commitment to supporting the most vulnerable segments of society during critical periods. By addressing the basic needs for warmth and nutrition, AfD not only helps families survive the winter months but also affirms the dignity and resilience of those facing economic hardships. As we move forward, AfD remains dedicated to expanding its efforts, ensuring that families in need have the support they need to weather the hardships of winter.

Links:

• Action for Development Homepage

Providing means for survival in the most difficult times of the year and to the poorest families is essential. AfD intends to provide people with food and livelihoods support as during the famine and cold – this will have the high priority. Winterization assistance provided by AfD is a live saving support to the most vulnerable individuals. Our beneficiaries are mainly women headed families, families with disabled children or disabled head of the family; we also include the families who mainly live on earning below 1$ per day. Our winterization program protects these families from harsh weather conditions.

The winter season brings with it increased vulnerabilities, this is because of the limited opportunities for food production, low crop harvests and lack of income generation. Many families depend on the livestock’s who also in the country as Afghanistan face immense problems – such as disease and lack of postures, majority of them also get wasted directly and indirectly due to the cold.

Early collection and availability of funds, will enable us to plan, procure and pre-position winter items prior to the cold season and heavy snow falls.  As majority of the families depend on burning wood and coal for surviving the winter, we need to prepare in advance and purchase these materials until it is still dry, since after the rain the wood and coal will be wet, weigh more in weight and would need to get dry for utilization.  Your timely donations will alleviate the adoption of negative coping mechanisms, lessen occurrences of respiratory infections among the children and adults, and prevent under 5 mortalities, hypothermia.

With 81% of households having insufficient winter clothes and 77% lacking access to heating material, more than 1 million people reside in high priority districts will need seasonal support to prevent health risks and other hazards.

We thank you for your collaboration with these families and hope to hear from you and receive your support to this most needed and life-saving project.

Kind regards,