Afghanistan: Humanitarian Update, May 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

UNOCHA Senior Humanitarian Official Ms. Edem Wosornu visits Afghanistan to address escalating crisis Pg. 01

Excessive rainfall and floods in May 2024 impact multiple provinces across Afghanistan Pg. 02

Senior Officials Meeting on Afghanistan: Brussels, 10-11 June 2024 Pg. 03

UNOCHA SENIOR HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL MS. EDEM WOSORNU VISITS AFGHANISTAN TO ADDRESS ESCALATING CRISIS

From 11 to 15 May 2024, OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, Ms. Edem Wosornu, visited Afghanistan to assess the humanitarian situation and engage in critical discussions with partners and the de facto authorities on the urgent needs of the Afghan population.

Afghanistan is facing a continuing severe humanitarian crisis with 23.7 million people in need of assistance. Among these, 12.4 million are food insecure and almost half the population – some 48 per cent – lives below the poverty line.
In recent months, the crisis has been further exacerbated by an uptick in the number of Afghan’s returning from Pakistan and Iran. Environmental challenges, including rising temperatures, altering precipitation patterns, persistent droughts and water scarcity, are leading to widespread desertification. Concurrently, recurrent flooding adversely impacts thousands of Afghans annually.

During her four-day visit which was strategically focused on the effectiveness of current aid efforts and the identification of gaps in assistance, Ms. Wosornu held meetings with a range of stakeholders. One significant engagement was with de facto Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. In this meeting, Ms. Wosornu expressed her condolences for the recent floods that devastated parts of the country and reaffirmed the humanitarian community’s commitment to supporting the affected areas. She also extended her gratitude to the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their efforts in establishing a coordination committee between the de facto authorities and humanitarian partners. A critical part of their discussion centered around the impact of climate change on Afghanistan, a country responsible for a mere 0.08 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions yet profoundly affected by its consequences.

Ms. Wosornu also met with the de facto Minister of Economy, Qari Din Muhammad Hanif, to discuss the transition from humanitarian to basic human needs assistance, as well as with national and international NGOs and the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief & Development to discuss strategies for enhancing coordination and improving the delivery of aid.

During a trip to Herat Province, which suffered three devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquakes in October 2023 leaving 275,000 people in urgent need of assistance and 40,000 homes destroyed or damaged, Ms. Wosornu visited shelter sites and health facilities in Injil district. Following focus group discussions with women from the affected communities, she emphasized the need for three critical elements from the international community: continued humanitarian assistance, sustainable solutions including livelihood and agricultural support and ensuring that Afghan voices are heard.

At the Gazargah Transit Centre (GTC) in Herat, which serves as a humanitarian hub located within the Department of Refugees and Repatriations (DoRR) compound and provides essential postarrival assistance to a wide range of vulnerable groups, including returnees from Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, as well as internally displaced persons, Ms.
Wosornu engaged with partners providing services at the GTC and the DoRR.

Concluding her mission, Ms. Wosornu stated, “The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is fragile. Twenty-three million people are in need of humanitarian assistance this year. This is five times the number in 2019.” She highlighted that the majority of those in need are women and girls, with over 1.4 million girls directly affected by the ban on female schooling after grade six. “This is a huge concern, to say the least,” she added.

Ms. Wosornu did not fail to address the challenges posed by restrictions on Afghan women working, noting that they have added yet another layer of complexity to what is already an extremely difficult operating environment. She commended the bravery of Afghan women aid workers who are confronted with challenges and personal risks daily while delivering humanitarian assistance. She thanked them for their bravery and “commitment to supporting females and males across the country in need.” Ms. Wosornu’s visit underscored the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the importance of coordinated efforts to address ongoing need. As Afghanistan faces this critical juncture, it is imperative for the international community to rally together and provide the necessary support to avert further suffering.