Oxfam's Lifeline: Providing Hope And Aid To Afghanistan's Vulnerable Communities

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 5 million people living in abject poverty. Oxfam has been providing humanitarian and development assistance in the country since 1991, including during the Taliban rule. They have worked in Kabul and seven other provinces of the country, providing assistance to families and communities affected by disasters and helping poor communities to improve their lives and fight poverty. Oxfam has promoted the rights of women and youth, working with the government to build capacity and influence policies that address structural poverty and inequality. They have also provided aid through programs focused on water, sanitation, disaster risk reduction, protection, food security, and livelihood support. In addition, Oxfam has called for sufficient food stocks to reach vulnerable people in Afghanistan and for international borders to be opened to allow people to claim humanitarian assistance and protection. They have also advocated for safe and adequate conditions for refugees, in line with international standards, and for all warring parties to protect the lives of civilians.

Oxfam provides humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan, including during the Taliban rule

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly 40% of its population living below the poverty line. The country has been ravaged by two decades of war and is vulnerable to natural disasters such as drought and floods. Oxfam first provided support in Afghanistan in 1961 and has been directly providing humanitarian and development assistance since 1991, including during the Taliban rule.

Oxfam worked in Kabul and seven other provinces: Balkh, Daikundi, Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Takhar. Through local partners, they provided assistance to families and communities affected by disasters and helped poor communities to improve their lives and work towards pulling themselves out of poverty. They promoted the rights of women and youth, empowering them to become agents of change and fight for their rights.

Oxfam also worked with government institutions to build capacity and influence policies that address structural poverty and inequality. They advocated for marginalized groups, such as small farmers and women-headed households, to improve their livelihoods, increase access to markets, and build resilience to climate change. Additionally, they promoted fair and equal access to natural resources to address the root causes of conflict.

In the area of gender justice, Oxfam worked to enable women and youth to have a voice and participate in decision-making processes. They collaborated with the government to improve and promote policies that foster inclusive security, peacebuilding, and justice. Oxfam's work in Afghanistan also extended to promoting and strengthening the engagement of civil society with district, provincial, and national levels of government.

Furthermore, Oxfam played a crucial role in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans affected by natural and man-made disasters. They worked with returnees to help them rebuild their lives and become more resilient to shocks. This included providing aid through programs focused on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), protection, food security, cash assistance, and broader livelihood support.

The organisation works with local partners to provide aid to families and communities affected by disasters

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly 40% of its population living below the poverty line. The country is vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters, including drought, floods, and conflict. In addition, gender-based violence is prevalent, with 87% of Afghan women experiencing some form of violence in their lives.

Oxfam has been providing humanitarian and development assistance in Afghanistan since 1991, including during the Taliban rule. The organisation works with local partners to provide aid to families and communities affected by disasters. This includes providing assistance to those affected by natural disasters such as drought and floods, as well as those impacted by conflict. Oxfam also prioritises gender justice in its work, promoting the rights of women and girls and working to reduce gender-based violence.

One example of Oxfam's work in Afghanistan is its response to the drought in 2021. Oxfam trucked 1,500 tonnes of food aid to people in the northern provinces of the country. The organisation also worked with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to feed 3.8 million hungry people. In addition to providing food aid, Oxfam also focuses on long-term solutions to address the root causes of poverty and inequality. For example, through its economic justice programs, Oxfam works with marginalised groups such as small farmers and women-headed households to help them build sustainable livelihoods and increase their access to markets.

Oxfam also advocates for policy change and works with government institutions to address structural poverty and inequality. The organisation promotes the participation of women in decision-making processes and works with religious leaders to raise awareness about the Islamic disapproval of violence against women and girls. In addition, Oxfam supports community development projects, such as the Community Development Council (CDC) in Herat, which helps communities identify and prioritise their local needs, especially empowering women and girls to define the future of their communities.

Oxfam's work in Afghanistan also includes providing water and sanitation solutions, disaster risk reduction, protection, food security, cash assistance, and livelihood support. The organisation works in collaboration with other aid agencies and the Afghan government to ensure a coordinated response to the needs of the Afghan people.

Oxfam promotes gender justice and the rights of women and youth to enable them to become agents of change

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly 40% of the population living below the poverty line. Oxfam has been providing humanitarian and development assistance in the country since 1991, including during the Taliban rule.

Oxfam's work in Afghanistan has included promoting gender justice and the rights of women and youth to enable them to become agents of change. They consider that systematic discrimination against women and girls is both a cause and a result of the inequality that drives poverty. As such, gender justice is one of the strongest pillars of Oxfam's work in Afghanistan.

Oxfam supports the participation of women in decision-making processes and works with the government to improve and promote policies that foster inclusive security, peacebuilding, and justice. They also provide women with livelihood support and opportunities, enabling them to support their families in income generation and increase their access to justice.

In addition, Oxfam helps to empower women and girls to help define the future of their communities at many levels. They support the Afghan Women's Skills Development Center (AWSDC), an organization that runs a shelter for women who have suffered abuse. They also work with local leaders to prevent the conditions that cause families to flee and help displaced people with their immediate basic needs, such as clean water, shelter, food, and work.

Oxfam has also been advocating for a bigger role for women in intra-Afghan peace talks. A report by Oxfam and other organizations found that nearly 80% of Afghanistan's past peace meetings since 2005 have excluded women. The report highlights that peace agreements are 35% more likely to last beyond 15 years when women effectively engage in them.

They work with the government to build capacity and influence policies that address structural poverty and inequality

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly 40% of the population living below the poverty line. Oxfam has been providing support in Afghanistan since 1961 and has been directly providing humanitarian and development assistance in the country since 1991, including during the Taliban rule.

Oxfam has been working with the Afghan government to build capacity and influence policies that address structural poverty and inequality. This includes promoting economic justice, gender justice, governance, and humanitarian response.

In terms of economic justice, Oxfam has been working with marginalized groups such as small farmers and women-headed households to improve their lives. They have been helping them build sustainable livelihoods, increase their access to markets, and build resilience to climate change. Oxfam has also been promoting fair and equal access to natural resources as a way to address some of the root causes of conflict.

Regarding gender justice, Oxfam has been promoting the rights of women and youth to enable them to have a voice and participate in decision-making processes. They have been working with the government to improve and promote policies that foster inclusive security, peacebuilding, and justice. Oxfam's work in this area also includes fighting for women's rights and raising awareness about gender-based violence. They support the participation of women in decision-making, provide them with livelihood support and opportunities, and enable them to support their families in income generation.

In the area of governance, Oxfam has been promoting and strengthening the constructive engagement of civil society with district, provincial, and national levels of government. They aim to improve and support the delivery of essential services in line with people's needs and address the key drivers of conflict. This includes improving the capacity, responsiveness, and transparency of local government.

Oxfam has also been providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans affected by natural and man-made disasters, such as drought, floods, and conflict. They have been working to help rebuild lives and increase resilience to shocks. This includes providing aid through programs focused on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), protection, food security, cash assistance, and broader livelihood support.

Oxfam also provides water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support to Afghans affected by natural and man-made disasters

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters, including earthquakes, flooding, conflict, and drought. In 2023, around 15.8 million people were affected by disasters, and as of March 2024, 12,375 people have been affected by disasters throughout Afghanistan.

Oxfam provides water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support to Afghans affected by these disasters. They work with local partners to provide assistance to families and communities impacted by natural and man-made disasters. Oxfam's WASH interventions are critical in addressing the immediate needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities.

Oxfam delivers hygiene kits and information door-to-door to improve the health and well-being of Afghan families, with a particular focus on women, children, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups. They also provide clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of diseases and ensure safe and adequate living conditions for those affected by disasters.

In addition to their WASH support, Oxfam promotes gender justice and the rights of women and youth, helps communities build sustainable livelihoods and increase their access to markets and natural resources, and works with government institutions to build capacity and address structural poverty and inequality.

Frequently asked questions