OCHA’s pooled funds help drought-stricken Afghans “believe in tomorrow”
By Abdullah Zahid
A few months ago, 19-year-old Bibi Nooria had little hope. She was pregnant with her third child during a searing heatwave in Afghanistan’s Takhar Province, and she had limited access to food, water and healthcare.
Fortunately, a Mobile Health and Nutrition Team, supported by the OCHA-managed Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and the UN Global Emergency Fund (CERF) reached her village just in time. They transported Nooria to a health facility, where she safely delivered a healthy baby. She received postnatal care, newborn vaccinations and family planning counselling.
The medical team also helped her family to prepare for the evolving drought. People battling Afghanistan’s drought-like conditions for the fourth consecutive year have exhausted their reserves.
Afghanistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. About 80 per cent of rural households make a living from agriculture, which has been decimated by insufficient rainfall. Crop failures and declining water levels have pushed food insecurity to alarming levels.
Photo: OCHA/Abdullah Zahid
Joint action by pooled funds
AHF and CERF are helping people cope with the devastating impact of the dry conditions.
In the first-ever joint allocation for anticipatory action, the funds released US$14 million to support more than 780,000 of the most vulnerable people before the drought’s worst impacts took hold.
UN agencies and humanitarian partners used the funding to help four provinces hardest hit by consecutive dry years: Badakhshan, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul and Takhar.
They delivered safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, health and nutrition support, protection programmes and multipurpose cash assistance. National non-governmental organizations played a key role in leading the response.
Cash helps people meet urgent needs
A portion of the funding was allocated to multipurpose cash. This helped more than 120,000 people meet urgent needs, such as food, medicine, school supplies and agricultural inputs, while helping to protect their livelihoods.
Abdul Rahim, a 61-year-old father of six from Faryab Province, received CERF-supported cash assistance. He shared the profound impact it had on his family: “I feared I couldn’t feed my children, but the day I received the cash I could breathe again. It wasn’t just survival; it gave us the strength to believe in tomorrow.”
Rahim purchased food, medicine for his sick wife and school supplies for his youngest daughter. The cash meant more than material support for the family; it restored their hope during a time of deep uncertainty.
Addressing malnutrition
Drought has a severe impact on women and children. In Faryab Province, prolonged drought has driven malnutrition rates above emergency thresholds, especially among young children and pregnant and lactating women. AHF-supported Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams reached remote villages with screening, treatment, counselling, and essential hygiene and health kits.
A resident of Dawlatabad, one of the hardest-hit districts, said: “Before, we had no doctors. Now, mobile health teams reach our village, and we are relieved and hopeful these services will continue.”
Through integrated nutrition and primary health services, the project protected families from life-threatening malnutrition and strengthened community resilience after years of drought.
Clean water for communities
In the drought-affected districts of Khwaja Sabz Posh, in Faryab Province, families have long struggled with water scarcity, poor sanitation and lack of access to safe drinking water due to recurring climate shocks.
With the pooled funds’ support, about 21,000 vulnerable people, including women and girls, now have access to clean and reliable water systems, improved sanitation facilities and hygiene-promotion services.
A woman who lives in a drought-affected community explained: “Before, we had to walk long distances to fetch water, and our children often became sick from unsafe water. Now, clean water is closer to our homes, and it has transformed our daily lives.”
Dignified living spaces
As drought deepens hardship in Faryab Province, AHF-supported shelter assistance is helping vulnerable families repair damaged homes and rebuild their lives. In Bilcheragh and Dawlatabad districts, more than 980 families received cash assistance for rent, shelter repair and construction, and transitional shelter support. This enables them to restore safe, dignified living spaces after years of displacement and deteriorating housing conditions.
Nasima, a woman with disabilities who heads her household, said: “We struggled to live in a damaged home, but with your [cash] assistance we were able to repair it and are truly grateful for the support.”
By prioritizing women-headed households, people with disabilities, older people and survivors of gender-based violence, AHF ensures the most at-risk families are not left behind.
Early action, lasting impact
“I wish to have continuous access to quality health services for my family,” said Nooria. “And I hope my children can one day go to school and become doctors, helping other mothers like me.”
Support from donors, partners and the international community for rapid interventions ahead of the worst impacts of extreme weather in Afghanistan is essential.
Sustained investment will ensure that assistance reaches the most vulnerable people, helps communities adapt to climate shocks, and helps people such as Nooria and Rahim remain hopeful for a safer, more resilient future.
You can help fund life-saving assistance with your contribution