An estimated 1.4 million Afghans need life-saving assistance in the coming months, due to severe drought caused by La Niña climate conditions. “Water wells have run dry, crops are lost, livestock is dying. Farmers are forced to leave their villages”, says Abdur Rauf, humanitarian program coordinator for Cordaid in Kabul.
As a result, Cordaid as the lead of the Dutch Relief Alliance Afghanistan Joint Response, together with its partners Oxfam, Stichting Vluchteling, Terre des Hommes and ZOA, urgently seek extra funds to assist the drought-affected population.
70% LESS RAINFALL Below average snow fall and a 70% winter precipitation deficit has an adverse impact in at least 20 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The country’s north and (south)west parts are hit hardest.
“Winter precipitation is Afghanistan’s main source of drinking and irrigation water”, Abdur Rauf explains. “As that is lacking, thousands of farming families in provinces like Badghis and Ghor are leaving their villages and fields. Most of them travel by foot towards nearby towns and cities. They carry whatever household items they can and leave their fields unattended. They hardly manage to keep their livestock alive.”
Milk production dropped up to 40% in some provinces, due to the drought. Livestock prices have plumeted as most animals are under weight. “Initial pre-harvest assessments show that food production will drop significantly”, Abdur continues. “We also know that many water wells in the affected provinces have run dry, showing how bad water levels are affected.”
DROUGHT COULDN’T COME AT A WORSE TIME
Margriet Verhoeven, Cordaid’s humanitarian program manager based in The Hague and coordinator of the Dutch Relief Alliance’s Joint Response in Afghanistan, stresses the need to act fast. “This couldn’t come at a worse time”, she says. “The lean season is upcoming and the drought will cause a further increase of seasonal malnutrition. Currently 1.6 million children and 443,000 pregnant and lactating women are already suffering from malnutrition across Afghanistan. According to the UN, between now and September 1.4 million drought affected people face acute food insecurity and need emergency assistance. This is coming on top of the 3.3 million people who are either internally displaced by armed conflict or who had to return – often forcibly – from neighbouring countries. We need to respond and we need to do it now.”
READY TO RESPOND, WAITING FOR FUNDS
According to Verhoeven, essential life-saving assistance for drought affected families includes food, water and sanitation, shelter and – given the large number of drought affected children – education. Partners of the Afghanistan Joint Response – now in its third phase – have been providing these types of assistance since 2016. “We have been assisting thousands of people displaced by conflict or forced to return from Pakistan and Iran. As fighting is augmenting we will continue to do that”, Verhoeven continues. “But now is also the time to assist drought-affected people in the north and the west who, on top of many other challenges, were driven out of their homes and away from their fields.”
“We are on the ground. We have the people, the partner networks and the expertise to do that fast and efficiently. But so far, we lack funding”, Verhoeven concludes.
REVISED HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN
Verhoeven’s plea for extra funding matches UN OCHA’s revision of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan. The UN seeks an extra 117 million USD to address drought-related emergency needs. Currently the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan is underfunded by 77%.