CRISIS REGION AFGHANISTAN – there can be no talk of security

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains complex despite encouraging efforts in recent peace negotations and the political will for change – it remains one of the most unsafe and unstable countries in the world.

Beyond that, Afghanistan also has the largest and most-prolonged refugee situation in the South Central Asian region. Again and again, the people there face dangerous situations, including conflict and drought, which have led to mass displacement in Afghanistan in 2018 with an estimated 270,000 IDPs and 230,000 people displaced by drought. In 2019 another 132,171 people were displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Beating cold and hunger

To offer people perspective in the winter, we organize a yearly humanitarian emergency relief campaign and provide families with packages of food and material goods. Our packages contain vital goods essential for survival, such as blankets and buckets. Furthermore, we provide families with basic foodstuffs like flour, sugar, oil and tea –basics which help them not to go hungry.

In cooperation with the Afghani Women’s Society, which has 27 years of experience in the field of humanitarian work and is able to provide concrete, unbureaucratic direct aid, the goods are procured and distributed to those who need it. By working in this manner, we strengthen the Afghan economy and the help arrives directly where it is needed most.

WHERE DO THE DONATIONS GO?

Camp Ghaibi Baba has been checked on site by the Afghani Women’s Society concerning need, size and security conditions. It is located in the 8th district of Kabul, around 10 km (6.2 miles) southwest of the town center and has been in existence since 2009. Currently, about 300 families live in the refugee camp. They have been dislodged or fled from other insecure Afghan provinces, which are often the target of attacks like Nangahar, Wardak and Kapisa.

The living conditions of these internally displaced persons are apallingly bad, most of them live in tents or clay huts. Most of those who are able to work are day-labourers, but the money they earn only barely allows them to survive. The main needs of the families living here are clean drinking water, food and medical care.

Based on the wishes of the inhabitants of this camp and in cooperation with the Afghani Women’s Society, we would like to distribute food packages to these families as part of a joint emergency relief campaign. Additionally, we wantwould like to support the refugee camp Shayda-ee in Herat with the help of our member, Winuss Azizi. 250 families with six to eight members are living here, having mostly fled from Ghor and Farah to Herat due to turmoil and combats.

What is in the packages?

One food package costs 60 euros and contains about: 50 kg of flour (112.75 lb), 10 L of oil (2.64 gl), 7 kg of sugar (15.78 lb), 1 kg tea (2.25 lb), 7 kg of beans (15.78 lb), 7 kg of rice (15.78 lb), a blanket and a bucket.

One food package is therefore sufficient to provide a family of six to eight with essential food for the winter months.

By the way: the surplus from our donations goes directly to our school construction projects in Kabul, where many students still have to attend classes in tents even during the icy winter.

Our emergency relief campaign in Kabul is being carried out in cooperation with the Afghani Women’s Society, which also holds the photographic rights to the photos from Kabul.