The escalating crises in Afghanistan hit people with disabilities particularly hard. Decades of violence have left large parts of the population with disabilities due to injuries. However, they lack urgently needed support and are far too often forgotten when it comes to humanitarian aid, medical care or educational opportunities.

That is why for this year’s humanitarian relief for Ramadan, we want to specifically address children living with disabilities. Together we can reach 600 families with food packages so that they can go through the holy month of Ramadan free of hunger.

While the political, financial and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan have been escalating ever since the Taliban took power in August 2021, one risk group is all too often lost sight of: people living with disabilities.

War operations and explosive remnants of war such as land mines have contributed to a massive increase in the number of people living with disabilities in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. In 2005, the incidence of severe disabilities in the Afghan population was 2.7%, by 2019 it had risen to 14%. Overall, 80% of adult Afghans have a disability. The country’s healthcare system cannot cope, lacking everything from treatment centers to medical supplies.

The situation of people living with disabilities in Afghanistan

The crises that are affecting the entire Afghan population are hitting people with disabilities particularly hard. They often have fewer opportunities to work, their families have to spend the little money they have on medicines and treatments, and there is a lack of visibility and data to prioritize people living with disabilities, for example in distributions by NGOs.

In addition, Afghans with disabilities have to repeatedly experience discrimination or violence and there is a lack of facilities, especially for children, that meet their needs. As a result, many of them receive no schooling or are kept out of the public eye altogether.

Hungerfree in Ramadan

This year’s Visions for Children “Hungerfree” emergency aid is aimed at the families of children with disabilities and their teachers at two schools near Herat. We have already been active at the schools in the past and, thanks to a long-time member, we have the opportunity to reliably implement the distribution on site.

Beyond the distributed goods, we want to show the families – who continue to make education a priority for their children despite all adversity – and the teachers, who support them every day, that they will not be forgotten.

As part of the humanitarian emergency aid, we can distribute food packages to 600 families at two schools. Each package contains a sack of rice, a sack of flour, two kilograms of peas, two kilograms of sugar, two kilograms of tea, two kilograms of beans and toiletries. A package will cost around €58 and will provide for a family of five for about a month.

Escalating crises in Afghanistan

585 days have passed since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The situation of the Afghan population is deteriorating day by day: more than 50% of the people are acutely dependent on humanitarian aid, the rights of women and girls are increasingly under scrutiny.

Solidarity with the Afghan people is particularly important now, during the holy month of Ramadan. Every donation, no matter how small, sends an important message and makes an impactful difference in the lives of the families reached. Therefore we would like to thank each and every one of you in advance for your support!

If we are able to surpass the fundraising goal, surpluses will go to the educational project at Block Haye Hawayee School in Mazar-e-Sharif. There, more than 800 students have to move to the corridors or tents due to a lack of space. This degrades the quality of teaching, impairs concentration, poses health risks and demotivates the students. In addition, the promotion of education lays an important foundation for the rising generation to be able to shape their lives in a self-determined and independent manner – and in the future short-term support such as humanitarian emergency aid will no longer be necessary.

The construction project started at the end of last year with our partner OASE, so it is important to complete the financing as soon as possible! Your donation can help to build a new building with 12 additional classrooms so that the students can learn safely.