Afghanistan
Our work in Afghanistan
Terre des Hommes has a long presence in Afghanistan, specifically since 2017, helping vulnerable families and their children, working together with our sister organisations and local partners.
Due to financial problems, lack of job opportunities and poverty, many families are not able to meet their basic needs, like food, clothing and education. That is why we provide families with cash so that they independently choose what their priorities are, and be able to afford it, without putting their children at risk.
After the earthquake in 2023, whole villages have been wiped out, hospitals collapsed, people lost everything and children had their lives disrupted. That is why we provided vulnerable families with cash, blankets and other winter items, and safe places for children to recover and play.
Health
Many Afghans don’t have proper access to health services. Sometimes due to the high cost of care, lack of transportation, and/or long distance to health facilities. Many women are not able to have reproductive care, natal care for themselves and their newborns, because they either are not able to move freely or there is no available service nearby.
In our project, we provide healthcare to vulnerable families, in particular to women, including pre-natal and post-natal care to pregnant women and nutrition for both the women and children. For those who cannot access the centers, the health teams visit them at home.
We also have health education and child rights awareness sessions to women and adolescent girls in safe spaces.
For more information see Afghanistan Joint Response.
Supporting Youth
Women and girls in Afghanistan continue to face heightened protection needs as a result of policies that restrict their movement and limit their involvement in life outside the home. Boys on the other hand, often don’t attend school, because they needed to help earn money for the family and are at risk of child labour as well as exploitation.
That is why in our current project we provide adolescents and young adults with vocational training, such as embroidery, tailoring, mobile repairing. Families also receive financial support so that they can buy tools or open a shop, and become better able to support their household.
One of the project participants mentioned “ This class lets us know the skill which positively changes our life and keeps our dignity “. She further said “Now we know our rights and how to protect ourselves (...), now I am really optimistic of a good future“.
We pay special attention to those children victims or at risk of child labour, early marriage, not attending school, domestic violence or exploitation, giving them psychosocial support while attending the training.
And to make sure the protection risks are addressed, child protection rights awareness is done with the caregivers and the entire community.
Results
- We provided livelihoods support to 13,132 vulnerable youth (vocational training, such as cell phone repair and sewing), combined with psychosocial support and case management, if needed, to support the families with children at risk of child labour, early marriage, not attending school, domestic violence etc.
- We also provided health care to more than 31,000 people, including primary health care, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), natal care to pregnant and lactating women and their children, and health awareness sessions to women and adolescent girls.
- Lastly, we provided more than 37,338 families with multi-purpose cash, so that they can have their different needs addressed.
- In October 2023, the province of Herat, in Afghanistan, was hit by a series of earthquakes, so we responded with:
- MHPSS, psychological first aid to adults and psychosocial support (PSS) activities to children. People reached: 6,883.
- Distribution of winterization packages (blankets, scarves, floor mats): 4,900 people reached.
- Multi-purpose and winterization cash: 8,400 people reached.
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Partners
In emergency situations, we almost always work together with other organisations. This allows us to deploy our emergency aid as quickly as possible. Often these are local organisations that know the area well.
In Afghanistan we work together and in collaboration with the Dutch Relief Alliance en the Organization for Afghan Women Capacity & Knowledge.
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