Winter aid for people in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is critical. Since the Taliban came to power, the economy has collapsed. People live in hunger and poverty. The harsh winter increases the distress of the people again. We at Hilfswerk International help them with food and winter packages.  

Hunger affects the people of Afghanistan. 41 million people live in the country. Around 46% of them do not have access to adequate nutrition – and the trend is rising. The reason for this is the poor economic situation since the Taliban came to power. Crop failures due to weather extremes such as floods and droughts continue to drive up food prices.  Due to the successive oppression of women by the Taliban, women and female-headed households are particularly affected by the critical food situation.

The province of Badakshan in northeastern Afghanistan measures temperatures down to -30°C in winter.  Without adequate nutrition and proper clothing, the chances of survival are low, especially for children. We at Hilfswerk International support the people in the Wakhan district in Badakshan with food and winter packages.

The aim of this project is to contribute to lifesaving and humanitarian relief measures benefiting the most vulnerable households in the Badakhshan region. To improve the resilience of 263 vulnerable households (1841 individuals) in the Wakhan district of the Badakhshan region we provide emergency aid in the form of food packages, as well as blankets and ground insulations.

In total, we help 1,841 people through the cold season by: 

• distributing food to 141 vulnerable families, and 
• providing winter packages with warm clothes, thermal forums, blankets and material for floor insulation for 122 families.
• Reaching women in Afghanistan is difficult due to the strict regime. Nevertheless, we ensure that some of the households we support are run by women.