. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The humanitarian community in Afghanistan is working to save lives and alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable. This is a difficult task in a complex environment and all humanitarian actors, including national and international NGOs, the UN, donors and the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement, are working together at varying degrees to address outstanding humanitarian needs.
Despite progress in certain areas, many Afghans continue suffering as a result of chronic vulnerability compounded by insecurity and violent conflict. Natural disasters, extreme weather and limited infrastructure further limit effective recovery or development, reinforcing dependence upon emergency assistance. Millions of Afghans remain in need of food, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihood assistance, and protection, in particular women and children.
The 2011 Consolidated Appeal notes the root
causes of humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, including ongoing conflict and endemic natural disasters, combined with limited humanitarian access, human rights abuses, lack of good governance and widespread corruption, a slow-moving economy and underdevelopment.
Lack of snow during winter and rains during the spring has resulted in dryness impacting different areas of the country – mainly in the Northern, North-eastern, Western and Central Highlands regions. While a drought has not yet been formally declared, the humanitarian community anticipates significant deterioration in population’s access to food due to failure of the rain-fed wheat crop and the deterioration in pastures and rangelands for livestock. It is anticipated that populations who rely on rain-fed agriculture will transfer from being “food-stressed” to being in a “food crisis” during the remainder of 2011 and that this state will remain in effect until the 2012 harvest (June-August). A Ministry of Agriculture Prospectus Report released in mid-June 2011 indicates a cereal deficit of approximately two million metric tons, almost three times the amount in 2010. In some parts of Northern region safe drinking water is being supplemented by water tankering due to lack of access from dryness-related issues. Concerns are further raised about the potential impact on nutrition and health in coming months as well as displacements and protection due to lack of water, food and livelihoods for already vulnerable populations.