Afghanistan: Humanitarian Update, July 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

Funding dries up as humanitarian needs are at an all-time high
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Aid agencies respond to flooding
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Early action mitigates the impact of the Moroccan Locust outbreak
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Safeguarding the capacity of local partners
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Addressing displacement crisis with durable solutions for IDPs
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FUNDING DRIES UP AS HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH

The 2023 Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is currently experiencing substantial critical funding gaps amounting to some US $1.3 billion, leaving vulnerable Afghan families staring down the barrel of hunger, disease and even potential death as winter approaches.

With humanitarian needs at an all-time high due to the third consecutive year of drought-like conditions, worsening poverty and heightened vulnerabilities following forty years of conflict, only a short window of opportunity exists to bring in vital assistance and supplies before the lean season and winter starts, and lives are lost.

According to a recent analysis by humanitarian partners, severe underfunding has already led to a massive reduction in the number of people targeted for food assistance each month – down from 13 million at the beginning of the year to 9 million between March and April, and 5 million people in May, while some 262 static and mobile health facilities have had to discontinue health service provision, impacting access to primary health care services for two million people. Some 2,800 community-based classes face closure in August affecting more than 141,000 children – more than half of them girls – should no additional funding be received.

Further cuts in food rations are inevitable over the coming months if additional funds are not received. This includes an additional reduction in the number of people targeted for food assistance down to 3 million people from September. There will also be a reduction in livelihoods support from 9 million to 5 million people, an increase in the number of community-based classes closed of up to 3,300 by October 2023, as well as the discontinuation of 173 mobile, health and nutrition teams (MHNTs) in August, affecting up to 70,200 children under five.

Funding is urgently needed to get ahead of winter and pre-position critical humanitarian supplies before many areas get cut off in October due to freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. Between July and September 2023, some critical Food and Livelihoods, Nutrition, Health, WASH and Protection pipelines are at risk of rupture due to insufficient funding.

The $1.3 billion funding gap identified by partners as critical reflects just a part of the overall $2.43bn funding gap that exists. Currently, the 2023 HRP has only received $801 million, meeting just 25 per cent of overall requirements, with many activities so far this year having been resourced by carryover (approximately $800 million) from 2022.