Severe drought is triggering crisis-level food insecurity and causing large scale displacement; pushing hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable out of areas of origin to seek emergency assistance. 

Approximately 13.5 million Afghans face crisis-levels of food insecurity. Both displaced and remaining families have now completely depleted their savings and are forced to fall into debt in order to survive. Internally displaced families are turning to negative coping mechanisms to manage increasingly scarce resources, including resorting to early marriage. Desperation is pushing families to marry off their girl children to receive a “bride price” and to reduce the number of mouths to feed. 

Ongoing conflict overlaid with the drought has made the situation for everyday Afghans even worse. World Vision is working to protect these vulnerable children through child protection, healthcare, education, food security, safe water and sanitation.

Former Prime Minister, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark, travelled to Afghanistan as a guest of World Vision in early March 2019. Helen visited many of our projects in Afghanistan to see the impact our faith, women’s development, and health centres are having in the lives of women and children affected by violence and drought.

Helen met with families that are struggling with the devasting reality of having to decide their daughter's fate to manage financially.  

"I've seen that there are women who care deeply about their daughters and are under great pressure to allow them to be in effect, sold into early marriage because that would relieve some financial difficulties. Two families, we sat with, the mothers had decided against that after discussion with the Iman and after discussion with other senior women in the community. It's a brave mother who does that to defend their daughter."

One of the most powerful ways to end child marriage is to change attitudes and behaviours within communities.

In Afghanistan, we’ve been working with a group of Imams to educate them about the benefits of keeping girls in school, instead of becoming brides. 

World Vision believes that faith leaders are key agents for bringing about transformational change in their community, therefore we actively engage them in our development activities to bring the community together, to mobilise the community for positive social change, to transfer sensitive messaging regarding gender-based violence, early child marriage and the education of girls.

Thousands of homes have been swept away and many families, already displaced by drought, have been forced to leave their homes for the second time.

Flash floods are very common after a drought, the land has dried out so severely, and vegetation has been killed off leaving the land so dehydrated limiting water absorption during heavy rainfalls. Heavy snowfall across Afghanistan has cut off many areas and raised fears of further floods in the spring.

World Vision is supporting the urgent needs of the children and families affected in Herat by providing safe drinking water.

We are supporting children in the Herat and Badghis Provinces of Afghanistan to learn about the importance of handwashing, sanitation, and hygiene. Poor hygiene and sanitation conditions in these areas contribute to the spread of diarrhoeal diseases among children. 

We have helped educate 800 children about sanitation and hygiene, so they can keep themselves and their communities healthy. We have also provided 1,400 children with hand-washing kits containing items such as soap, towels, colouring sheets, and hygiene information.

These children are now empowered with the skills and knowledge to teach their friends and family about important hygiene habits such as hand-washing with soap and using safe toilets.