Cash aid helps Afghan women-headed households rebuild lives with dignity
“I feel relieved and can sleep at night, knowing that my family has a safe space,” said Laila,* a recent returnee to Afghanistan.
For Laila and her family, returning to Afghanistan from Iran was not a choice but a forced return. About eight months ago, Iranian authorities informed them they had to leave. With few surviving ties to their home country, Laila, her husband and their four children arrived back in Afghanistan.
Laila’s journey
Laila speaks fondly of life in Iran and longs for her old routine. She worked as a housekeeper while her husband, who had struggled with drug addiction, received treatment and worked as day labourer. Together they built a modest, stable life that’s now in the past.
New challenges arose as soon as the family returned to Afghanistan. At the border crossing, registering for assistance proved difficult. Due to her husband’s condition and the regulations requiring women to register with a mahram (male chaperone), Laila’s documents were issued in her late father’s name. It took multiple verifications and a community elder for her to be recognized as head of the household. At first, Laila did not feel comfortable speaking about her husband’s addiction, but she had to in order to receive assistance vital for her family’s survival.
“I need to be brave because nobody else will be brave for me,” she said.
Raised to be a strong and independent woman, Laila now finds herself confined by the de facto authorities’ restrictions on women’s freedom, movement, and access to public and private services.
“It’s not easy to navigate life these days, but I’m trying every day to build a better future for my children,” she added.
After their return, the family stayed with Laila’s mother in Kabul. However, the home was too small to accommodate everyone. Without an income, their only option for shelter was the Kabul Informal Settlements near Char Rahi Qambar.
Home to more than 10,000 people, the informal settlement was created about a decade ago for people internally displaced by the raging conflict in other parts of the country. It now shelters many destitute returnees. The area is a maze of makeshift mud houses with tarpaulin roofs and no sewage systems, electricity or running water.
Nasrin’s journey
Nasrin,* a widow in her 50s, lived in the same settlement with her adult son who suffers from severe kidney problems and is non-verbal. Nasrin moved to Iran years ago with her husband and son for better access to healthcare. However, following her husband’s death, she returned to Afghanistan. After initially living with relatives and spending all her savings on her son’s medical care, she resorted to moving to the settlement.
Cash relief
To their great relief, both women received life-saving assistance. Registered as women-headed households by the de facto Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Laila and Nasrin were referred to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which runs a community centre near the settlement.
With funding from the OCHA-managed Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, NRC implemented a nine-month project in August 2024 to support vulnerable families with cash assistance for rent during transition periods. The assistance also included information, counselling and legal assistance services, to help recipients enter valid and fair rental agreements.
This support enabled Laila and Nasrin to move into apartments suitable for their families. They both say the assistance has lifted a heavy burden. And Laila still dreams of owning her own house.
In 2024, the European Union contributed nearly US$1.3 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. This enabled humanitarian partners to deliver critical support to people in Afghanistan affected by four decades of war and entrenched poverty.
*Names have been changed.