Afghanistan: Humanitarian Update, December 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

Partners set in motion targeted humanitarian work for 2024 Pg. 01

Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan in 2023 Pg. 02

Rising number of returning Afghans increase humanitarian needs Pg. 04

PARTNERS SET IN MOTION TARGETED HUMANITARIAN WORK FOR 2024

In late December, humanitarian actors in Afghanistan launched their 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) – the humanitarian community’s latest annual appeal to meet the needs of a population that continues to be caught up in the aftermath of decades of war, climate and natural disasterinduced crises, as well as increasingly stubborn levels of poverty.

The Plan, which highlights that more than half of the population of Afghanistan, around 23.7 million people, will require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2024, intends to reach 17.3 million of those who are most vulnerable, including girls, boys, women, men and those with disabilities.

While a significant reduction in conflict since August 2021, and relative economic stabilization over the past twelve months, has contributed to a 16 per cent decrease in the number of people in need since the beginning of 2023, extremely high levels of need persist. Protracted displacement, combined with widespread explosive ordnance contamination, ongoing restrictions on the rights and freedom of women, and heightened exposure to gender-based violence, child labour, and early marriage, mean that Afghanistan remains first and foremost a protection crisis.
Moreover, prolonged drought-like conditions – now about to enter their fourth year – have created a water crisis, generating new food, health, and nutrition needs. Recurrent natural disasters pose additional threats to the safety and wellbeing of Afghan communities, as highlighted by the three massive 6.3 magnitude earthquakes which struck Herat Province in October 2023.
At the same time, within the last quarter of 2023, nearly half a million Afghans returned from Pakistan following a new policy targeting the deportation of undocumented foreigners. In 2024, it is projected that around 483,500 Afghans will return from Pakistan – 98 per cent of whom will be targeted for assistance.
Currently about 6.3 million individuals—one in seven Afghans— face long-term displacement, with many having left their homes over a decade ago. This is the largest number of internally displaced people in South Asia and the second largest worldwide.

In response to these needs, the 2024 HNRP proposes to provide affected communities with life-saving assistance, including emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies, protection, health, food security and agriculture, education, nutrition, and shelter support. The Plan has financial requirements totalling US $3.06 billion.

In 2023, Afghanistan grappled with several natural disasters and the increasingly harmful effects of climate change. The devastating earthquakes in Herat Province in October destroyed 40,000 houses and left 275,000 people in need of support to repair and rebuild their homes.
Meanwhile, the La Niña weather phenomenon brought below-average, irregular rainfall which resulted in drought-like conditions across much of the country, threatening the wellbeing of 31 million Afghans who depend on agriculture to make ends meet. Additionally, rising temperatures altered precipitation patterns, contributing to decreased access to water in some areas. Indeed, the most recent Whole of Afghanistan assessment conducted in August 2023 found that 67 per cent of households report difficulty in accessing water.

Despite the hopeful prospect of anticipated El Nino conditions in late 2023 and early 2024, which could provide some relief for drought recovery, these conditions have not materialised as expected. In the north-eastern and eastern regions, the precipitation deficits have reached historic lows of 40-55 per cent, while in the western, northern and south-eastern regions there are moderate deficits of 25-40 perc cent, and mild deficits of 10-25 per cent less than average in most other parts of the country. This has affected planting decisions and animal health, necessitating a high alert on if and when rainfed wheat cultivation will take place and possible outbreaks of pests and diseases, as well as emergency livestock protection to prevent distress destocking.
Humanitarian partners continue to closely monitor the agricultural, climatic and water conditions in readiness to support Afghans over the next few months.