Afghanistan: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024, Response Overview (1 January - 31 July 2024)

OVERVIEW

Between January and July 2024, humanitarian partners reached 13.4 million people with at least one form of humanitarian assistance and up to 2.2 million people with at least three different types of sectoral support. Although this represents a broad reach in absolute terms, 69 per cent (9.3 million) of the 13.4 million people reached overall received food assistance, highlighting the extent to which food security assistance continues to drive response figures, while also overshadowing the millions of people who require multiple types and rounds of assistance throughout the year to ensure their needs are adequately met.

The response was enabled by a combination of new funding as of 28 July 2024 ($735 million) and funds carried over from 2023 ($412.5 million). However, $2.3 billion (76 per cent) of the $3.06 billion required remained unfunded in July 2024. At the same time, new needs continue to be generated by sudden-onset crises while simultaneously exacerbating underlying vulnerabilities.

The large-scale provision of humanitarian assistance, particularly food distributions and seasonal support, has continued in the first seven months of 2024. Looking ahead, partners will focus efforts on providing more integrated support in line with the nature and scale of multisectoral needs that is informed by a quarterly gaps analysis exercise, enhanced inter-sectoral reach calculations and greater transparency in reach data.

In a context of ongoing humanitarian needs and operational complexity, the humanitarian community’s ability to continue to stay and deliver life-saving assistance will be contingent on flexible funding, enabling financial systems, assurances of aid worker safety and principled humanitarian response. This includes ensuring that women are able to access the assistance and services they require, and that Afghan women humanitarian workers can participate in the response safely, meaningfully and comprehensively.