MReport Available2200606-RR-AFG-48AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural Disaster06-RR-AFG-4_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0FAO;UNICEF;WFP;WHO12768338.00002006-08-10T00:00:002006-08-18T00:00:0012768338.00002006-08-10T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available3200606-RR-AFG-148AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural Disaster06-RR-AFG-14_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0UNICEF;WFP;WHO19536289.00002006-12-05T00:00:002006-12-20T00:00:0019536289.00002006-12-05T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available4200707-RR-AFG-188AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response16DisplacementConflict-related07-RR-AFG-18_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0IOM;UNICEF;WFP;WHO5111195.00002007-06-12T00:00:002007-08-15T00:00:005111195.00002007-06-12T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available6200707-RR-AFG-298AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response27Multiple EmergenciesMultiple Emergencies07-RR-AFG-29_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application6Internal strife3Multiple10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0WFP323212.00002007-10-03T00:00:002007-10-03T00:00:00323212.00002007-10-03T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available7200808-RR-AFG-328AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural Disaster08-RR-AFG-32_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0UNICEF;WFP;WHO8002060.00002008-02-12T00:00:002008-02-12T00:00:008002060.00002008-02-12T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available8200808-UF-AFG-398AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related08-UF-AFG-39_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0FAO;IOM;UNHCR;WHO4175162.00002008-03-13T00:00:002008-03-13T00:00:004175162.00002008-03-13T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available10200808-UF-AFG-548AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies8DroughtNatural Disaster08-UF-AFG-54_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0IOM;UNICEF;WHO4598922.00002008-09-12T00:00:002008-09-12T00:00:004598922.00002008-09-12T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available5200808-RR-AFG-268AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related08-RR-AFG-26_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0WFP1444500.00002008-01-30T00:00:002008-01-30T00:00:001444500.00002008-01-30T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available13200909-RR-AFG-678AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response7Heat/Cold WaveNatural Disaster09-RR-AFG-67_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0FAO;IOM;UNICEF;WHO4165567.00002009-02-04T00:00:002009-03-06T00:00:004165567.00002009-02-04T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available15201010-UF-AFG-778AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies8DroughtNatural Disaster10-UF-AFG-77_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0FAO;UNFPA;UNICEF;WHO11019952.00002010-03-25T00:00:002010-03-31T00:00:0011019952.00002010-03-25T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available20201212-UF-AFG-978AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related12-UF-AFG-97_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0FAO;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFP;WHO9995396.00002012-09-12T00:00:002012-09-26T00:00:009995396.00002012-09-12T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.MReport Available21201313-UF-AFG-1278AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related13-UF-AFG-127_Afghanistan_Jun2016_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0UNFPA;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFP;WHO16574042.00002013-02-28T00:00:002013-03-27T00:00:0016574042.00002013-02-28T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available321201414-RR-AFG-112718AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response16DisplacementConflict-related14-RR-AFG-11271_Afghanistan_Sep2014_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia165000Military operations by the Government of Pakistan against non-state armed actors in North Waziristan Agency in June 2014 resulted in an influx of refugees into Afghanistan. By early August 2014, some 22,000 families (some 16,000 in Khost and some 6,000 families in Paktika) were assessed, with more continuing to come across as fighting continues. Significant pressure has been placed on host communities, stretching already limited basic services. Priority humanitarian needs are food assistance, health care, mine clearance, shelter and water and sanitation services, including preparatory distributions in view of the harsh oncoming winter, especially for families staying in the open. Of the approx. 22,000 families displaced, agencies are planning for some 16,000 families (120,000 individuals) to receive assistance. While some of the refugees may voluntarily return to Pakistan, it is assumed that while displacement may not become protracted, a significant proportion of the refugees will remain in Afghanistan throughout the winter and into early 2015. Funding is therefore sought for a six month period. According to OCHA Afghanistan, the timing of the submission of this CERF application was delayed due to high-level discussions between OCHA and UNHCR at both respective HQ and country level in relation to the inter-agency agreements regarding coordination arrangements in mixed-settings. These discussions did not delay the start up of the response, and agencies stepped up to respond due to the humanitarian imperative, diverting funds from in-country resources to meet the most critical needs, while mobilising resources. On 18 September 2014, the HC for Afghanistan submitted a rapid response application for $4 million. Funding from CERF will support the life-saving and priority needs as identified by UNHCR and the clusters namely: Emergency shelter/NFIs, food, health, protection (mine clearance), and WASH.Summary will be available soon.Summary will be available soon.UNFPA;UNHCR;UNICEF;UNOPS;WFP;WHO3991021.00001200002014-09-22T00:00:002014-09-24T00:00:002014-12-26T00:00:002015-06-26T00:00:003991021.00002014-09-22T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available397201515-UF-AFG-163178AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related15-UF-AFG-16317_Afghanistan_Aug2015_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia3800000The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is affected by conflict-induced displacement in the North and Northeast. The impacts of the displacement include increased food insecurity, malnutrition, shelter needs plus increased multi-sectoral needs in camps. The number of refugees, returnees, internally displaced populations (IDPs) and host communities in need is estimated at 3.8 million. The Afghanistan HRP requirement is US$ 416.6 million. At the time of the CERF UFE application, the HRP was 29% funded. This UFE CERF application targets approximately 336.000 people in the Badghis, Baghlan, Baghlan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Farah ,Faryab, Ghor, Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktya, Takhar, Zabul. These areas are among the most affected by displacement and IDPs, refugees, returnees and people in host communities require food assistance, health supplies, shelter and multi-sectoral responses. Afghanistan Underfunded submission Total envelope: $8 million (Round II allocation: $70 million for 8 countries) Grant package received: 24 August 2015 Total # of projects submitted: 5The 2015 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Afghanistan identified approximately 7.4 million people who needed humanitarian assistance due to conflicts, large-scale displacement, poverty and natural disasters. The humanitarian response in the first half of 2015 was shaped by the intensification of armed conflict resulting in 4,921 civilian casualties and a surge in displacement. Women faced additional concerns, such as rising incidents of rape, poor access to services, lack of female healthcare personnel and psychosocial stress. The ongoing conflict and displacement often interrupted school attendance, leading to an increase in child labour and other protection concerns.In response to increased humanitarian needs and severe funding shortages, CERF provided $8 million to Afghanistan in 2015 from its Underfunded Emergencies Window. This urgently needed funding allowed UN agencies and partners to provide food for 157,165 Pakistani refugees; improved access to emergency medical care for 117,720 vulnerable people; comprehensive multisectoral assistance for 26,046 returning refugees (including through cash to 7,530 returnees); and emergency relief items for 14,016 IDPs.IOM;UNFPA;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFP;WHO7983646.00003927422015-09-16T00:00:002015-09-30T00:00:002017-02-03T00:00:007983646.00002015-09-16T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available414201515-RR-AFG-176758AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-related15-RR-AFG-17675_Afghanistan_Nov2015_Application1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0On 11 November UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and UN Resident- and Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Bowden submitted an application to the CERF’s rapid response window in response to the post-conflict Kunduz situation and a 26 October in northeast Afghanistan. KUNDUZ CONFLICT The escalation in fighting in Kunduz City, particularly from 28 September to 2 October, and similarly brazen AGE attacks wreaked havoc and provoked the widespread displacement of at least 14,000 families within the Northeast (Balkh, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan), with an estimated 2,800 families displaced to Central Region, to escape the armed conflict. The Kunduz regional airport, health facilities, and schools were closed and water, electrical and communication services disrupted during the conflict and humanitarian actors evacuated. Health sector response was made even more difficult following the 3 October US bombing the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) trauma centre in Kunduz City, detrimentally impacting access to surgical care for hundreds of thousands. Critical needs for the majority of IDPs are initially assessed to be food and shelter, with NFI, health, WASH, and protection needs are also key. EARTHQUAKE On 26 October a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked north-eastern Afghanistan, affecting at least 16 of the country’s provinces and leaving more than 129,000 people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. Ongoing assessments as of 8 November show that 112 people were killed, 510 injured, 11,693 homes damaged and 6,546 houses destroyed. Kunar and Nangarhar and Badakshan provinces were hardest hit. The immediate priorities are providing emergency shelter, heating, food and protection of livestock / livelihoods for the affected communities, particularly in remote and hard to reach areas.Armed clashes between the Afghan Government forces and non-state armed groups in Kunduz, which took place from 28 September to 15 October 2015, resulted in some of the most intense fighting in Afghanistan since 2001. The aggressive campaign by non-state actors in Kunduz city and several other provincial centres (from Ghazni in the south to Maimana in the north) wreaked havoc, caused deaths and injuries, and provoked the widespread displacement of at least 16,800 families. The Kunduz regional airport, health facilities and schools were closed, while water, electrical and communication services were disrupted, which forced the evacuation of humanitarian personnel. The crisis was followed by a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which struck the north and north-east of the country on 26 October. At least 15 provinces were affected, and 136,967 people needed humanitarian assistance. Reports from joint assessments indicated that 117 people were killed, 544 people were injured, 12,794 houses were damaged and 7,384 were destroyed.Resources were already extremely stretched due to the ongoing conflicts across the country, natural disasters and pressing needs for winterization. Therefore, the humanitarian community appealed to CERF for urgent support. CERF provided $5.8 million from its Rapid Response Window for immediate life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people affected by both crises. This funding allowed UN agencies and partners to provide food for 201,605 people; agricultural inputs for 3,050 families; trauma care for 26,124 patients; psychosocial support for 4,680 patients and caregivers; and access to life-saving emergency services for 8,635 survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).FAO;UNFPA;WFP;WHO5802858.000002015-12-17T00:00:002015-12-23T00:00:002016-03-23T00:00:002016-11-30T00:00:005802858.00002015-12-17T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available495201616-RR-AFG-231488AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response16DisplacementConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application, Nov 2016 (Returnees from Pakistan)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia620000Triggered by heightened political pressure and security threats on Afghans in Pakistan, over 480,000 undocumented returnees and registered refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan since July, representing a ten-fold increase in the number of returnees from the period between January and June. The Afghanistan Flash Appeal launched in September aims to cater the needs of approximately 620,000 returning Afghans expected between September and December, which represent US$144.2 million of the total funding requirement of $152 million. Only $34 million or 23 per cent of the Appeal has been funded so far. Initial Rapid Needs Assessment found shelter, WASH and food to be the greatest needs for the newly-arriving returnees, many of whom lack basic necessities and are in highly vulnerable physical and mental states. This CERF allocation of $9.7 million will provide immediate life-saving assistance to new arrivals and cover the most critical gaps in the areas of high return. The CERF-funded projects will target 385,000 people with food, health, protection, emergency shelter, NFI and cash assistance to be delivered in Torkham Border, IOM Transit Centre, four UNHCR Encashment and Transit Centres in Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar, as well as provinces of Nangarhar, Kabul, Kunar and Laghman. The CERF grant will complement US$5 million allocation from the CHF Emergency Reserve, directed to plug critical gaps in the response mainly in Nangarhar province, together to address the rapidly-increasing humanitarian needs caused by the recent spike in returnee population which was not envisaged by the country’s 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan.In 2016, over half a million documented and undocumented Afghan refugees returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan in response to heightened political pressure and security threats. Approximately 40,000 refugees returned between January and June and over 480,000 between July and December. The sudden and unprecedented spike in returns in the second half of the year was not planned for, and it far exceeded available response capacities. This mass movement was attributed to the unrelenting pressure on Afghan communities by Pakistani authorities through new visa requirements, police raids, detentions, deportations, and restricted access to livelihoods and social services. According to the findings of the initial rapid needs assessment conducted in August 2016, the majority of returnees had few assets and were arriving in a highly vulnerable physical and mental state. The assessment identified critical needs for shelter, food and water assistance among returning communities. However, only an estimated 20 per cent of returnees who arrived after July received any form of assistance, as the Government and humanitarian organizations struggled to cope with the influx.In response, CERF allocated $9.8 million to Afghanistan to enable the provision of life-saving assistance to returning refugee communities. This funding allowed UN agencies and partners to provide registration and screening for 365,000 people; food to 123,324 people; cash and in-kind support to 66,078 people; emergency shelter and winter kits to 14,712 people; reproductive and maternity health services to 17,377 women; delivery kits to 3,802 pregnant women; emergency obstetric and newborn care services to 5,200 women; immunizations for 14,052 children; and messaging on mines and explosives to 134,861 people.According to the RC/HC report, CERF partially lead to fast assistance to beneficiaries as the application process became delayed due to agencies’ changing priorities and delays in finalizing project proposals. Once funding was disbursed it allowed agencies to act quickly, for example using existing stocks that were replenished by CERF and using CERF to continue activities whose funding was running out. As winter was about to start, CERF helped respond to timecritical needs, in particular through provision critical health services and urgently needed winterization packages. CERF improved resource mobilization from other sources, for example UNFPA and WFP were able to raise funding to continue activities started with CERF funding. CERF also improved coordination among the humanitarian community by encouraging joint assessments and information sharing as well as joint programming, for example by WHO and UNFPA.IOM;UNFPA;UNHCR;UNOPS;WFP;WHO9782398.00003850004965202016-11-14T00:00:002016-11-21T00:00:002017-02-22T00:00:002017-09-04T00:00:009782398.00002016-11-14T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available554201717-UF-AFG-274328AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies16DisplacementConflict-relatedAfghanistan UF Application Sep 2017 (displacement)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia1590356The continued deepening and geographic spread of the protracted conflict in Afghanistan continues to generate significant humanitarian needs. Some 7.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. 1.6 million people are severely food insecure and at least 1.3 million children are expected to reach high levels of starvation this year. In 2017, 229,000 people have been displaced due to internal conflict while over 377,000 documented and undocumented Afghans returned to date and up to 773,000 Afghans are estimated to return soon. A $10 million allocation will focus on the needs of 344,000 people comprises returnees along the Afghanistan-Iran border at Malak border, flood-affected IDPs, returnees and host communities in Nimroz province; people in need of winterization assistance across 21 high altitude provinces; and food insecure and natural-disaster affected people in 10 priority provinces. CERF will support life-saving interventions in Food Security and Livelihoods, Child Protection, Emergency Shelter/ Non-Food Items, Health, Nutrition, Protection, and WASH. The CERF support was prioritised by the country team with a view of the second Afghanistan Common Humanitarian Fund allocation of 2017 for $25 million, which focused on improving humanitarian action and responsiveness in 45 hard-to-reach areas. The Afghanistan Humanitarian Country Team requires about $550 million for humanitarian action in in 2017. According to FTS, Afghanistan received 27% of the HRP requirement as of 21 July 2017 when the UFE country selection analysis took place and is now 34% funded, still below the current global funding average of 44% for 2017 HRPs. Afghanistan Underfunded Emergencies Application Country envelope: $10 million (Round II allocation: $45 million for 4 countries) Application received: 18 September 2017 Number of projects submitted: 6During the 2016/2017 winter season, extreme weather conditions including heavy snowfall, avalanches, and rain-related disasters affected 33 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, causing 194 deaths. Moreover, 21 of the provinces affected by the most extreme and lasting winter temperatures also hosted large populations of internally displaced people (IDPs) and recent returnees. In the Eastern Region, approximately 13 per cent of the population was severely food insecure and 49 per cent moderately food insecure. The situation was particularly acute in informal settlements of Nangarhar Province, where 68 per cent of IDPs were severely food insecure. Out of 9.3 million people in need throughout Afghanistan in 2017, 5.7 million people were targeted to receive humanitarian assistance. With only 32 per cent of the overall Humanitarian Response Plan requirements covered as of September 2017, no sector had received sufficient funding to meet the planned targets. Furthermore, between February and August 2017, more than 225,000 undocumented Afghan returnees arrived back in Afghanistan from Iran, citing arbitrary arrests and detention, attacks, looting, police harassment and fear of deportation as reasons for their return. By August 2017, the rate of return had increased to 1,500 crossings daily, overstretching existing services at the Milak border crossing and the IOM transit centre. As a result of insufficient resources to cope with the influx, only 3 to 4 per cent of undocumented returnees arriving from Iran were receiving immediate assistance, leaving them extremely vulnerable to the effects of the harsh winter.CERF provided $10 million to Afghanistan from its Underfunded Emergencies window to sustain the implementation of life-saving operations. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide: post-arrival humanitarian assistance to 715,403 undocumented Afghan returnees; agricultural inputs to 15,000 families and livestock to 5,000 families; winterization assistance through cash to 8,848 IDP, returnee and host community families; safe drinking water to 17,879 people through the installation of 135 dug wells; child friendly spaces, psychological support and recreational services to 13,061 returnee children; and vaccinations to 5,000 people.CERF funds enabled fast delivery of assistance to people in need and helped agencies respond to time-critical needs. For example, FAO was able to provide seeds in time for the autumn cultivation season and UNHCR delivered winterization assistance prior to the onset of winter. The response initiated with CERF funds helped agencies to partially improve resource mobilization from other sources. UNHCR was able to raise additional funding required for the winterization response. The implementation of the CERF allocation improved coordination, for example by enabling IOM to coordinate more actively with OCHA, the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and the cluster system to ensure a multisectoral response.FAO;IOM;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Refugees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons9996905.00002893923311112017-10-05T00:00:002017-09-25T00:00:002017-10-20T00:00:002018-02-28T00:00:002018-10-30T00:00:009996905.00002017-10-05T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available607201818-RR-AFG-312548AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural DisasterAfghanistan RR Application Aug 2018 (Drought)3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia2200000The CERF rapid response application of US$12 million is to respond to the ongoing drought in 20 provinces of Afghanistan which has negatively impacted the food security of vulnerable households. According to the results of the IPC conducted in late 2017, most of the drought affected areas were at or beyond IPC 3. The impact of the drought has also resulted in a further deterioration of the nutritional status of affected communities, especially children under the age of five, due to their reduced access to safe water and increased likelihood of food insecurity in the coming months. Households relying on farming and livestock have also been directly affected by the below average rainfall, resulting in a negative impact on the agriculture season and the unavailability of vegetation in pastures and farmlands. Finally, the drought has had devastating effect on the pre-existing water sources with many areas experiencing acute water shortages. In the 20 provinces affected by the drought, 662,728 are in urgent need of assistance including 297,500 requiring food assistance, 204,708 in need of targeted WASH interventions, 52,720 children and women require targeted nutritional support and 53,900 individuals require agriculture and livestock assistance. A CERF rapid response allocation is sought to provide immediate assistance within the Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH and Nutrition sectors to meet the needs of the 662,728 vulnerable individuals.Afghanistan was hit by severe drought in 2018 that devastated the agricultural sector in the already vulnerable provinces, leaving 9.9 million people were food insecure. The Government of Afghanistan declared a drought in mid-April of 2018 and requested the international community’s support. Satellite imagery showed far lower levels of vegetation density, crop failure and uncultivated land. The drought exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. As of late 2017, most of the drought affected areas were already at or beyond integrated food security phase classification (IPC) 3, meaning the population had food consumption gaps reflected by high or above-usual acute malnutrition or were only marginally able to meet minimum food needs. Nutritional status of affected communities worsened following the drought. A total 482,000 children aged 6-59 months were reported with acute malnutrition (severe and moderate acute malnutrition) in 20 drought affected provinces from July to December 2018. This included 147,076 with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 334,924 with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). In addition, the situation of water supply and sanitation in Afghanistan is among the worst in the world with more than 36 per cent of Afghans without access to an improved safe water source and 47 per cent still using unimproved sanitation facilities. The drought contributed to increased displacement with an estimated 263,000 people displaced in the provinces of Badghis, Herat and Ghori alone, where 19 informal settlements were established.In response, CERF allocated $12 million from its Rapid Response window in August 2018 to support the critical response to the drought in the western, southern and north-eastern regions of Afghanistan. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to reach a total of 630,580 drought-affected people by providing: food aid to 334,496 people; nutritional services to 59,933 children under age 5 and pregnant and lactating women; access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to 272,992 people; and livelihood protection to 14,000 families.CERF funding was the first contribution received by recipient agencies for the 2018 drought response and has enabled early response and fast delivery of life-saving assistance to affected people. It was time-critical as has enabled recipient agencies to provide humanitarian response to drought-affected populations. In addition, the grant helped support emergency collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, national authorities and humanitarian partners at various levels. Agencies were able to quickly scale-up response capacity. The grant raised awareness and interest among other donors of the importance of responding quickly to prevent the destruction of agricultural livelihoods of vulnerable drought-affected households.FAO;UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons11937469.00006627286305802018-08-13T00:00:002018-08-07T00:00:002018-08-13T00:00:002018-11-15T00:00:002019-05-15T00:00:0011937469.00002018-08-13T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available691201919-UF-AFG-385448AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies16DisplacementConflict-relatedAfghanistan UF Application Sep 2019 (Displacement)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia6300000The 2018 drought – a result of the La Niña phenomenon associated with reduced rain and snowfall levels left more than 9.9 million people food insecure. The situation of water supply and sanitation in Afghanistan I sone of the poorest in the world with more than 36 per cent of the population living without access to improved safe water sources and 47 per cent still using unimproved sanitation facilities. Afghanistan has had the highest number of recorded landmine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) casualties for two years running. In 2018, approximately 120 people per month were killed or injured by landmines, ERW and/or landmines of an improvised nature, also known as Victim Operated Improvised Explosive Devices, pressure-plate improvised explosive devices. According to the 2018 Protection Analysis of Conflict Affected Populations (PACAP) report, 52 per cent of displaced households indicated the presence of explosive hazards in their places of origin. Roughly 46 per cent of displaced households in the south of Afghanistan reported encounters with explosive hazards during displacement, either on the move or at displacement locations. Further, UNMAS Afghanistan recorded a total of 10,957 mine action casualties from 2011 until July 2019. Twenty-four per cent of these casualties occurred in the five provinces selected for this intervention: Kunduz, Baghlan, Uruzgan, Helmand and Nangarhar; 50 per cent of these casualties were children. According to UNMAS data, mine action casualties in the five provinces were caused by landmines of an improvised nature 57 per cent of the time and ERW 40 per cent of the time. Afghanistan’s under-developed health system is thinly spread across the country, due to ongoing conflict and insecurity, as well as infrastructure challenges. Around 30 per cent of the population has limited access to basic health services within a 2-hour travel radius and maternal mortality is among the highest in the world. Only 50 per cent of children under five have received the full suite of recommended vaccinations to keep them safe and healthy. The fragile health system is further overburdened by mass casualty incidents and recurrent outbreaks of communicable diseases, especially among IDPs. It is anticipated that 50 per cent of people in Afghanistan are suffering from some form of psychological distress and some 20 per cent of the population is impaired in his or her role due to mental health issues. Traditional barriers hinder many from having mental disorders diagnosed and from seeking appropriate services. There is also limited mental health training among health personnel leaving many sufferers to live with their conditions without support.The nutritional situation in Afghanistan continued to be alarming. Ongoing conflict, low access to basic services, and the impact of natural disasters have exacerbated the already existing vulnerabilities of communities, contributing towards high rates of acute malnutrition. According to the nutrition surveys in 2019, 22 out of 34 provinces were above the emergency level threshold of acute malnutrition based on WHO classification of wasting rates for children under the age of five (global acute malnutrition (GAM) ≥10 per cent with aggravating factors). The impact of drought in 2018 which extended through 2019, further aggravated the poor nutritional situation. The nutritional status of children under five continues to deteriorate in most parts of Afghanistan, directly threatening their lives. This partly stems from the surge in food insecurity over recent years, including as a result of the 2018/19 drought, but also because of chronic issues.Nutrition partners provided timely access to a package of life-saving emergency services to 41,941 nutritionally vulnerable and acutely malnourished children under five and pregnant and lactating women in the targeted provinces. The CERF funding enabled partners to procure 258.5 mt Supercereal for treatment of malnourished pregnant & lactating women and provide treatment services to 11,500 to malnourished pregnant and lactating women; provided community outreach/mobilization, OPD-MAM for moderate acute malnourished children and PLW, OPD-SAM for uncomplicated cases of severe acute malnourished children, IPD-SAM for SAM cases with complication. In addition, CERF funding ensured procurement of 24,442 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition. During the grant’s validity, a total of 26,090 children (11,740 boys, 14,350 girls) aged 6-59 months with SAM were treated in the 17 target provinces. A total of $2 million funding from the CERF enabled the agencies to prioritize children and women with a heightened risk of malnutrition and mortality among IDPs, returnees, refugees and drought-affected communities. Agencies and partners responded to immediate health needs by providing trauma care, blood bank services and deploying 27 mobile health teams. The health partners reached to 1,318,745 people. Health partners established 15 mobile health team reached a total of 91,191 people in high risk provinces with essential primary health care services including outpatient, reproductive health, child immunization, nutrition screening and psycho-social support services. In addition the capacity of integrated trauma care services in 12 health facilities and hospitals was enhanced with equipment and kits to enable access to specialized GBV services for GBV survivors. Under the protection sector, agencies and partners reached to 843,832 people for mine risk education, child protection and protection monitoring activities with total $2 million envelop. Protection activities included the screening of 13,320 vulnerable undocumented returnees, and provision of basic assistance (including food, clothes to 13,320 persons and transportation support to 6,837 beneficiaries) at reception and transit centers at the major border points with Pakistan and Iran. Through protection missions, 1,562 (18%) individuals with specific protection needs were identified for cash or in-kind assistance or referred to specialized service. WASH activities were carried out in collaboration with government and implementing partners – reaching to 180,315 people with improved water and sanitation services. With a total $4 million allocation from the CERF, partners provided durable and sustainable water supply, sanitation services, hygiene promotion in 16 provinces in Afghanistan. A total of 67 durable and sustainable water supply facilities were installed; individuals were supported with sanitation and hygiene promotion activities. Furthermore, five health care facilities (HCFs) and eight schools were equipped with WASH services benefitting over 12,422 children.In 2019 CERF granted US$ 15,999,997 to the Health, Protection, WASH and Nutrition partners (IOM, UNHCR, UNOPS, WFP, UNICEF, WHO) through its underfunded emergency response window. This fund supported 2,384,833 people from September 2019 to September 2020 in 15 provinces of the country. I am very pleased that with the support of Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) funding, UN humanitarian partners successfully delivered critical lifesaving assistance to vulnerable people in Afghanistan during the application period. The CERF supported health emergency response enabled the delivery of lifesaving trauma care and primary health care services to 876,948 people. Under trauma care support WHO maintained trauma care facilities, established blood banks, prepositioned trauma care medicines and supplies in high-risk areas and provided service to address disabilities including physical rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support. Nutrition partners provided therapeutic feeding treatment to 4,362 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and supplementary feeding treatment for 11,489 pregnant and lactating women with moderate acute malnutrition. With CERF funding WHO and partners mobilized 15 temporary health facilities, prepositioned Inter-agency Emergency Health (IEHK), basic and supplementary kits, Cholera Kits, and medicines. CERF also enabled the establishment of national referral center in Kabul for cases of Gender Based Violence. The referral center which is equipped with advanced equipment to provide emergency health care to GBV victims and represents the first ever advanced GBV referral center in the country establish through CERF funding.IOM;UNHCR;UNICEF;UNOPS;WFP;WHOHost communities;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons15999997.000099482316006682019-09-23T00:00:002019-09-13T00:00:002019-09-24T00:00:002020-02-29T00:00:002020-10-30T00:00:0015999997.00002019-09-23T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available771202020-UF-AFG-452888AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies33Violence/ClashesConflict-relatedAfghanistan UF Application Oct 2020 (Violence/Clashes)1Geophysical010Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia10100000After 40 years of war, annual natural disasters and persistent poverty, the people of Afghanistan have been dealt another deadly blow from COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic had thrown Afghanistan into an unprecedented health, social and economic crisis requiring urgent action and solidarity from the international community. With a fragile health system, a developing economy and underlying vulnerabilities, the people of Afghanistan faced extreme consequences from the pandemic. Limited access to water and sanitation, widespread food insecurity and high rates of malnutrition were all additional complicating factors for Afghanistan. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team (ICCT) have revised the multi-year HRP with 14 million people now estimated to be in humanitarian need and a planned reach of 11.1 million people. For this work, the humanitarian community requires US$1.1 billion. Projections of key population groups (e.g returnees, people affected by natural disaster) have been adjusted to reflected new ground realities.Hunger and malnutrition remain at dangerously high levels despite the passing of the drought with 12.4 million people forecast to be in crisis or emergency food insecurity between June and November of 2020.The Afghanistan HRP remained severely under-funded, despite a deterioration in humanitarian needs due to the added human, humanitarian and socio-economic burden of COVID-19. Only 26 per cent of requirements outlined in the revised HRP had been funded as of August 2020. In 2020, the humanitarian needs were on the increase but international donor funding to Afghanistan was low and key humanitarian programmes were underfunded. As a result, CERF allocated $13 million to Afghanistan to sustain the implementation of key life-saving operations. The CERF funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 1,593,370 people, including 438,076 women, 420,654men, 734,640 children, and 65,904 people with disabilities in the Food Security and Agriculture, Health, Nutrition, WASH, and Protection sectors with a focus on Gender-Based Violence (GBV).CERF led to fast delivery of assistance to beneficiaries. For example, the CERF contribution enabled the UN agencies to bridge the gap in funding for fast delivery of lifesaving interventions in food security and other sectors. CERF also helped respond to time-critical needs. For example, there was a high Afghanistan migrant returnee influx from Iran and Pakistan through border areas, where no other partners provided health care services. IOM used CERF to address the gaps in access to essential drugs and supplies for the provincial health facilities. However, WFP utilized existing food stock for urgent programme requirements, during delays in additional stock procurement and long lead times. CERF improved resource mobilization from other sources. The CERF funds highlighted the need for continued primary health care supports for the migrant returnees to the donor community. As a result, IOM received funds from WHO, the Government of Japan, SDC, BPRM, GFFO, FCDO, and the AHF. CERF improved coordination. Under the UNICEF WASH component, coordination was undertaken through the cluster both at national and sub-national levels to ensure CERF activities did not duplicate existing activities while also, complementing the activities of other WASH cluster partners.FAO;IOM;UNFPA;UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Refugees;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons12999965.000095917415933702020-10-29T00:00:002020-10-21T00:00:002020-10-30T00:00:002021-05-15T00:00:002022-02-28T00:00:0012999965.00002020-10-01T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available791202020-RR-AFG-464798AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response33Violence/ClashesConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application Dec 2020 (Cash allocation)1Geophysical010Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia22Covid-19 2020-202116944185The COVID-19 crisis had magnified the devastating impacts of over 40 years of conflict, climate change, mass displacement, sudden onset shocks and weak social safety nets. The pandemic had exacerbated already alarming levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data projected that 16.9 million people (42 percent of the population) would face emergency or crisis levels of acute food insecurity and require urgent food assistance between November 2020 and March 2021. The population in an emergency food security situation (IPC Phase 4) was over 5.5 million (14 percent of the population), up from 3.4 million estimated for the same period the previous year. The IPC analysis also showed a decrease in the number of food secure households, with a significant decrease in the percentage of people in the most stable food security category of IPC Phase 1.In response, CERF allocated $15 million to Afghanistan, as part of an $80 million CERF allocation to support cash programming in response to increasing food insecurity in 6 countries. To safeguard vulnerable groups from falling deeper into the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition and hunger, the focus of this timely CERF allocation was on cash-based assistance to meet urgent and immediate food needs and protect livelihoods in the lean season, particularly during the harsh winter months. It prevented people facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity from further falling into chronic food insecurity due to fragile livelihoods and thereby help avert famine. Cash-based assistance through food assistance and livelihoods support created a multiplier effect by allowing people who received cash assistance to meet immediate needs during the harsh winter as well as prevent vulnerable people from further resorting to negative coping strategies. As conflict continues to intensify, coupled with climate-related natural hazards and multiple waves of COVID-19, the complementarity of food security and livelihoods assistance provided a good practice for how to bridge food assistance and livelihoods protection to enhance food security and help prevent famine in acutely food-insecure areas. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 1,188,867 people, including 263,900 women, 255,000 men, 670,000 children, and 71,000 people with disabilities in the Food Security sector.CERF led to fast delivery of assistance to affected people by kick-starting a food security response for people with humanitarian needs due to La Niña-driven drought-like conditions, intensifying conflict, the continued impact of COVID-19 and imminent flooding. CERF's assistance helped respond to time-critical needs ahead of the anticipated deterioration in food security and agriculture. The assistance directly contributed to averting a famine-like situation for food insecure households by increasing their access to nutritious food. Furthermore, the assistance was key to households not being displaced or needing to adopt negative coping actions. CERF also improved resource mobilization from other sources by helping raise the alarm for urgent mobilisation of funds from other donors.FAO;WFPHost communities;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons15000000.000095045911888672020-12-31T00:00:002020-12-28T00:00:002020-12-31T00:00:002021-04-09T00:00:002022-01-31T00:00:0015000000.00002020-10-28T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available809202121-RR-AFG-474078AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural DisasterAfghanistan RR Application Apr 2021 (Drought)3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia18400000The people of Afghanistan were expected to face increased humanitarian needs in the spring of 2021, caused by the overlapping impact of La Niña-driven climate changes, intensifying conflict, and ongoing COVID-19 challenges. The analysis indicated that 25 provinces, which were home to 27.7 million people, would see 13.2 million facing urgent humanitarian need during the spring period. A drought had not yet been officially declared but monitoring of meteorological conditions over past months showed severe shortfalls in precipitation that was likely to affect agriculture and access to water. 16.9m people were projected to be in IPC3+ food insecurity through March 2021. A water scarcity crisis unfolded, impacting 2.46m people. Sufficient water for livestock/agriculture, as well as for drinking/hygiene had become a challenge. There were predictions the number of displaced people in the country to increase from 6.45m in 2020 to 6.92m. This was higher than the country team's projection of 250,000 newly displaced people in 2021.The Emergency Relief Coordinator on 29 March 2021 allocated $15 million from CERF for early life-saving humanitarian action. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 669,457 people, including 145,741 women, 160,762 men, 362,954 children, and 26,288 people with disabilities in the nutrition, health, WASH and agriculture sectors. The CERF allocation helped protect and safeguard food and nutrition security of vulnerable households from the adverse impact of drought and other recent and expected shocks including, COVID-19 and worsening food crises in Afghanistan.The CERF allocation enabled fast delivery of assistance to people in need, bridging the gap in funding for lifesaving Nutrition and WASH services, and providing timely response to life-saving services. The allocation allowed for the provision of safe drinking water, treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and timely livestock protection assistance. CERF funding also improved coordination between stakeholders and enabled agencies to demonstrate progress, ensuring continued advocacy for the supported programs. The results achieved through CERF funding led to other donors being encouraged to support similar activities in the field.FAO;UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Refugees;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons14998459.00008001676694572021-04-23T00:00:002021-04-15T00:00:002021-05-05T00:00:002021-09-07T00:00:002022-02-28T00:00:0014998459.00002021-03-30T00:00:00The people of Afghanistan are expected to face increased humanitarian needs this spring, caused by the overlapping impact of La Niña-driven climate changes, intensifying conflict, and ongoing COVID-19 challenges. The current analysis indicates that 25 provinces, which are home to 27.7 million people, will see 13.2 million facing urgent humanitarian need during the spring period. A drought has not yet been officially declared but monitoring of meteorological conditions over recent months shows severe shortfalls in precipitation that are likely to affect agriculture and access to water. Already 16.9m people are projected to be in IPC3+ food insecurity through March 2021. A water scarcity crisis is unfolding, impacting 2.46m people. Sufficient water for livestock/agriculture, as well as for drinking/hygiene has become a challenge. There are predictions the number of displaced people in the country to increase from 6.45m in 2020 to 6.92m. This is higher than the country team's projection of 250,000 newly displaced people this year. In response, the Emergency Relief Coordinator on 29 March allocated $15 million from CERF's rapid response window for life-saving humanitarian action. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) proposes to focus on providing an integrated package of life-saving shelter and basic household items, water, sanitation and hygiene, health and protection assistance to 460,000 people in the most affected communities in the Northern, Sahel, Eastern and North Central regions. The HCT intends to focus on four priorities: (1) Provide shelter to 10,000 households; (2) Ensure safe access to sanitations services at new sites for displaced people and host communities; (3) Strengthen the prevention of, and response to, protection issues including child protection, gender-based violence and managing the risk of improvised explosive devices; and (4) Improve access to basic health care for displaced people and host communities, including sexual and reproductive health. This request is aimed at kick-starting a multi-sectoral response to the Spring Contingency Plan. The strategy is focused on 4 sectors: nutrition, health, WASH and agriculture. In particular agricultural and livelihoods assistance is expected to prevent some displacement due to water scarcity and drought-like conditions. CERF resources will be focused in the high and medium risk areas identified in the Spring Plan. The overall number of people to be reached is 630,000, as per the request.PReport Available832202121-UF-AFG-488068AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-relatedAfghanistan UF Application Aug 2021 (Conflict)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia3600000The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate due to the recent escalation in conflict, the emergence of recurrent drought (the second in two years) and new waves of COVID-19 infections in June 2021. A third of the country (12.2 million) were facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. Limited access to services and underlying chronic poverty had eroded people’s coping capacities. Nearly half the population – 18.4 million people – were in humanitarian need. Timely and flexible funding was critical to mitigate against avoidable deaths, prevent displacement and reduce suffering. $1.3 billion was required to reach almost 16 million people with humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan; only 37 per cent of required funds had been received, leaving an almost $800 million shortfall.As a result, CERF allocated $11 million to Afghanistan to sustain the implementation of key life-saving operations. CERF also allocated $1.5 million to address the needs of person with disabilities bringing the total UFE allocation to $12.5 million. The CERF UFE allocation allowed the country team to maintain current life-saving programmes which would otherwise likely be forced to shut down – and to go beyond this, by scaling up field presence in locations where additional response is required for over 678,000 people including 74,000 women, 73,000 men, 330,000 children and 33,500 people with disabilities. The CERF allocation supported life-saving interventions in food security, protection and shelter/NFI through projects by WFP, FAO, UNHCR and IOM. The UFE allocation also complements two ongoing CERF allocations: the recent $15 million CERF rapid response allocation used to kick start the implementation of the Spring Contingency Plan and the $15 million cash-allocation provided late in 2020 in response to alarming levels of food insecurity.The emergency contribution from the CERF allowed UN agencies (FAO, IOM, UNHCR, UNOPS, WFP and WHO) provide lifesaving assistance to vulnerable people in Afghanistan under the Emergency Shelter, Food Security and Agriculture, protection, and health sectors from September 2021 to April 2023. For instance, WHO provided support to the war trauma victims of the in three provinces (Kunar, Laghman and Paktia) and a portion of Zabul province as well) which were of the highest needs of disability and physical rehabilitation and WASH services. And UNHCR reached another 427,000 covering 70,000 individuals with Emergency Shelter Kits, Cash for Rent, Non-Food Item packages, and procurement of 130 tents to provide learning spaces for 357,000 school children.FAO;IOM;UNHCR;UNOPS;WFP;WHOHost communities;Refugees;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons12499902.00006783538830642021-09-01T00:00:002021-08-26T00:00:002021-09-29T00:00:002022-07-19T00:00:002023-07-06T00:00:0012499902.00002021-06-10T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available844202121-RR-AFG-492698AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application Sep 2021 (Displacement and Drought)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia10800000The humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are enormous and increasing. There are concurrent emergencies due to different types of hazards: a violent conflict, large-scale displacement, a pandemic that continues to spread, and a major drought. At the start of 2021, 18.4 million people needed humanitarian assistance - the fourth-largest number globally and a 32% increase from 2020. In addition, people's lives and livelihoods across the country are at increased risk during winter, especially in mountainous areas, where winterization programmes were needed. Within that context, an air bridge for aid cargo and humanitarian personnel was also required in order to access remote and vulnerable areas of the country.In response to the crisis, CERF allocated $20 million on 2 September 2021 from its Rapid Response window for humanitarian assistance. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 1,282,522 people, including 277,652 women, 267,942 men, 736,928 children, and including 57,207 people with disabilities in the Food Security and Shelter and Non-Food Items sectors, as well as indirectly via the Humanitarian Air Service. The CERF allocation served as a critical injection of early funds to enable UN agencies and partners to timely start the emergency response.CERF assistance was requested and allocated before the anticipated mass deterioration in food security in hard to reach areas. The assistance provided through this project has directly contributed to averting a famine-like situation for vulnerable households, whose access to nutritious food was increased. Furthermore, this assistance contributed to preventing additional displacement and utilization of negative coping actions. Winterization assistance in the form of non-food items, shelter repairs and cash assistance allowed particularly vulnerable families to prepare for the harsh winter conditions exacerbated by the economic and banking crisis. This timely CERF allocation also facilitated the expansion of humanitarian response activities in Afghanistan after the political transition in August 2021 by providing essential air bridges and domestic routes to transport humanitarian personnel and cargo as commercial flights were grounded during this period of time.FAO;IOM;UNHCR;WFPHost communities;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons20227501.000065076012825222021-10-07T00:00:002021-10-07T00:00:002021-10-26T00:00:002022-01-07T00:00:002022-08-29T00:00:0020227501.00002021-09-02T00:00:00The humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are enormous and increasing. There are concurrent emergencies due to different types of hazard: a violent conflict, large-scale displacement, a pandemic that continues to spread, and a major drought. At the start of 2021, 18.4 million people needed humanitarian assistance - the fourth-largest number globally and a 32% increase from 2020. In addition, the rapidly approaching winter threatens people's lives and livelihoods across the country, especially in mountainous areas, where winterization programmes are needed. In parallel, food-insecure households need to be able to make it through the winter and capitalize on crops as soon as practical. The current situation has created a need for an air bridge for aid cargo and humanitarian personnel to be able to access the country.PReport Available848202121-RR-AFG-494228AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application Oct 2021 (Health system)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0At the time this $45 million CERF rapid response allocation was made, humanitarian needs in Afghanistan were enormous and increasing. There were concurrent emergencies due to different types of hazards: a violent conflict, large-scale displacement, a pandemic that continued to spread, and a major drought. At the start of 2021, 18.4 million people needed humanitarian assistance, the fourth largest number globally and a 32 per cent increase from 2020. This increase in humanitarian need was being complicated by a suspension of development funding for the Sehatmandi project. The World bank funded initiative had been the backbone of the Afghan health system, providing support to over 2,331 health facilities across all 34 provinces of the country. Following the suspension of the project, the health cluster in Afghanistan warned that 90 per cent of these facilities would close unless urgent action was taken. The Afghan health system would collapse, and 20 years of progress would be lost. This would have a rippling effect on the availability of basic and essential health care, nutrition services, and the livelihoods of thousands of health care workers including community midwives and nurses. Without funding, services provided through the Sehatmandi project, including both primary (Basic Package of health Services – BPHS) and secondary (Essential Package of Health Services – EPHS) health service packages would no longer be available and service delivery implemented by NGOs in 2,168 health facilities in 31 provinces and 163 government-run facilities in three provinces would effectively stop, exposing the Afghan population to preventable increases in morbidity and mortality.On 22 September 2021, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffith allocated $45 million from CERF to prevent the collapse of the Afghan health system following the events of 15 August and the subsequent pausing of development funding to the country. Funding from CERF enabled UNICEF, WHO and their respective partners to sustain the provision of critical life-saving medical services in 31 of 34 provinces of Afghanistan, directly providing assistance to 14.2 million people, including 281,641 people with disabilities. The CERF grant provided medicine and medical supplies to 2,233 health facilities as well as payment of salaries to 25,046 medical and paramedical health care workers, thus enabling the provision of in- and outpatient health consultations, antenatal care, vaccination services, growth monitoring and Infant nutrition support focused on infants, young children and their caretakers, among other life-saving activities.The $45 million CERF allocation came at a critical time for the health sector in Afghanistan. Following the takeover of the country by the Taliban in August 2021, the health system faced the real risk of collapse given that it had been largely dependent on international funding channeled through mechanisms of the previous government. The Taliban takeover triggered many donors’ counter-terrorism measures, putting a freeze on the development funding which had largely propelled basic service delivery, effectively forcing the health system to a halt. Almost all the life-saving humanitarian health and nutrition response had been delivered based on the internationally funded basic health service structures. In this context, the timely allocation of CERF funds enabled the Health Cluster through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO) and their implementing partners to maintain and sustain the continuity of the Sehatmandi public health service – the backbone of the Afghan national health system – for three months while longer term funding channels were identified. The efforts were successful, in that follow-on funding was initially secured for the April – June 2022 period which, in turn, enabled the preparation of an 18-month funding request for the programme from the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Additionally, the CERF allocation can be credited with strengthening localization in Afghanistan. Recognizing that Afghan entities are the primary health sector responders, UNICEF and WHO channeled about 64 per cent ($27,866,443) of response funds through Afghan non-government organizations (NNGO) and 22 per cent ($10,040,477) through international non-government organizations (INGOs).UNICEF;WHOHost communities;Internally displaced persons45000000.000029071946142268902021-10-13T00:00:002021-10-05T00:00:002021-10-13T00:00:002022-01-17T00:00:002022-08-04T00:00:0045000000.00002021-09-22T00:00:00The Emergency Relief Coordinator has released US$45 million in life-saving support from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund to help prevent Afghanistan’s health-care system from collapse. Medicines, medical supplies and fuel are running out in Afghanistan. Cold chains are compromised. Essential health-care workers are not being paid. Allowing Afghanistan’s health-care delivery system to fall apart would be disastrous. People across the country would be denied access to primary health care such as emergency caesarian sections and trauma care. The funding will go to WHO and UNICEF and - working through national and international NGOs - will keep health-care facilities, including hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, operating until the end of the year. The UN is determined to stand by the people of Afghanistan in their hour of need.PReport Available909202222-RR-AFG-541698AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response1EarthquakeNatural DisasterAfghanistan RR Application Jun 2022 (earthquake)3Geophysical1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia362000A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Paktika and Khost provinces on 22 June 2022. As of 23 June, some 770 people are estimated to have been killed, while an additional 1,500 people wounded. An estimated 70% of the houses in the 6 districts are damaged or destroyed, leaving communities in urgent need of shelter, water, food, and medical care. An outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea has already been reported across the affected districts and there is a risk of cholera outbreaks. On 24 June, the Emergency Relief Coordinator released $10 million from CERF's Rapid Response Window to kick-start the humanitarian response. The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) has also indicated $9 million could be made available through an Emergency Reserve Allocation.On 24 June, the Emergency Relief Coordinator released $10 million from CERF's Rapid Response Window to kick-start the humanitarian response. The allocation helped to deepen access and kick-starts humanitarian response in the affected areas which were largely remote and under-served areas. The allocation also reinforced a collaborative approach with both local and national authorities and served as a basis for a two-way confidence building mechanism between humanitarian actors and de facto authorities. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 555,478 people, including 128,690 women, 132,130 men, 294,658 children, and including 48,250 people with disabilities in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Health and Food Security sectors.The allocation facilitated strategic enhancements in earthquake response efforts by UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. WFP's rapid response and logistical support, made possible by CERF, bolstered inter-agency coordination and ensured immediate food assistance. UNICEF's focus on underserved areas improved access to quality education and WASH services, extending their impact beyond the emergency period. WHO's efficient trauma care, primary health services, and sanitation efforts significantly enhanced the overall health and well-being of the affected population. CERF's flexible contributions played a key role in strengthening the strategic value of these agencies' interventions in the earthquake-affected regions, emphasizing critical services and coordination.UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons10000000.00004593805554782022-07-07T00:00:002022-07-01T00:00:002022-07-12T00:00:002022-10-31T00:00:002023-04-30T00:00:0010000000.00002022-06-24T00:00:00A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Paktika and Khost provinces on 22 June 2022. As of 23 June, some 770 people are estimated to have been killed, while an additional 1,500 people wounded. An estimated 70% of the houses in the 6 districts are damaged or destroyed, leaving communities in urgent need of shelter, water, food, and medical care. An outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea has already been reported across the affected districts and there is a risk of cholera outbreaks. On 24 June, the Emergency Relief Coordinator released $10 million from CERF's Rapid Response Window to kick-start the humanitarian response. The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) has also indicated $9 million could be made available through an Emergency Reserve Allocation.PReport Available980202323-RR-AFG-586358AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application May 2023 (Famine prevention)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia0Afghanistan was facing a fragile food security and nutrition situation. Dire economic circumstances, steepened food prices, unfavorable trade deficits, stagnating agricultural yields, cyclical natural hazards exacerbated by climate change, alarming gender inequalities and poor educational access exacerbated the challenges that the population of Afghanistan faced. An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment estimated that 20 million Afghans were facing acute food insecurity (IPC3+), with 6 million people in ‘emergency’ levels (IPC4). In 2023, 875,000 children were expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 2.3 million children and 840,000 women from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Out of these 20 million people facing acute food insecurity, close to 80 percent were living in rural areas. With drastic reductions in humanitarian and development funding for Afghanistan in 2023, the various forecasting exercises indicated a worrying outlook and a need to ensure robust famine prevention strategy was implemented.In response to the crisis, CERF allocated $18 million from its Rapid Response window for the immediate commencement of life-saving activities. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 481,581 people, including 97,909 women, 97,450 men, 286,222 children, and including 102,851 people with disabilities in Food Security (Agriculture and Food Assistance) sectors.CERF led to the fast delivery of assistance to people in need. This allocation was fundamental for the fast delivery of assistance, especially because there were little other funds available. CERF also helped improve resource mobilization from other sources. Agencies noted that this CERF allocation helped them to mobilize additional resources to advance the re-scale up of the food security response in Afghanistan.FAO;WFPHost communities;Refugees;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons17999811.00004400844815812023-05-19T00:00:002023-05-15T00:00:002023-05-19T00:00:002023-08-16T00:00:002024-02-22T00:00:0017999811.00002023-03-17T00:00:00Afghanistan's food insecurity situation is increasing due to a number of driving factors, including dire economic circumstances, climate change and conflict. Approximately 20 million Afghans are facing acute food insecurity (IPC3+), with 6 million people in ‘emergency’ levels (one step away from famine) according the latest IPC assessment. This situation is exacerbating communities’ pre-existing vulnerabilities, negatively impacting livelihoods, agricultural production and the provision of basic social services.PReport Available1019202323-RR-AFG-614418AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response1EarthquakeNatural DisasterAfghanistan RR Application Oct 2023 (Herat Earthquake)3Geophysical1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia275000A series of earthquakes occurred in Herat province, western Afghanistan on 7 October 2023, including one that registered above 6.3 on the magnitude scale, killing more than a thousand people. A total of 2.6 million people were estimated to live in the earthquake-affected area, of whom 1.86 million were affected and 227,000 in severe need, with their houses destroyed.In response, the Emergency Relief Coordinator on 13 October allocated $5 million from CERF's rapid response window for life-saving activities targeting 77,235 people affected by earthquake in Herat region in support for protection from gender-based violence, emergency shelter and non-food items, food security, and healthcare.Through this CERF RR allocation of $5 million, UN recipient agencies (IOM, UNHCR, UNFPA, WFP and WHO) and their partners have provided critical and life-saving services to the people affected by the Herat earthquake. Partners initiated their response to the earthquake affected population within the first 72 hours, providing in-kind food and cash-based assistance, emergency shelter and mental health and psychosocial support as well as lifesaving services for people affected by gender-based violence.IOM;UNFPA;UNHCR;WFP;WHOHost communities;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons5000331.00001514081526932023-11-02T00:00:002023-11-02T00:00:002023-11-10T00:00:002024-04-15T00:00:002024-09-16T00:00:005000331.00002023-10-11T00:00:00A series of earthquakes occurred in Herat province, western Afghanistan on 7 October 2023, including one that registered above 6.3 on the magnitude scale. The numbers of dead and wounded are rising rapidly: The de facto authorities say that 2,400 people have been killed while OCHA has so far been able to triangulate 1,300 deaths, although this number continues to rise. Hundreds more have been injured. 2.6m people live in the earthquake-affected area, of whom 1.86m have been affected and 227k are estimated to be in severe need, meaning their houses have been destroyed.PReport Available1033202323-UF-AFG-586438AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies7Heat/Cold WaveNatural DisasterAfghanistan UF Application Nov 2023 (Extreme winter precipitation)3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia453867Afghanistan was facing extreme climate vulnerabilities, with temperatures dropping to –30°C and the previous year’s winter (2022/23) being the coldest in over a decade. The emerging El Niño pattern threatened heavier snowfall that could isolate communities already struggling with limited preparedness. The 2023 Winter Prioritization Plan identified Food Security, Emergency Shelter/NFI, and Protection as critical needs, particularly for families in substandard shelters, including the elderly and children. The lean season intensified risks, with 18.3 million people requiring urgent food assistance while funding covered only a small portion of needs. These conditions underscored the urgent necessity of international support to address life‑saving priorities and prevent further humanitarian deterioration during the winter months.The CERF allocation significantly strengthened Afghanistan’s humanitarian response during severe winter conditions. CERF‑funded activities reached about 645,000 people—well above the planned 450,000—including 141,000 women, 252,000 men, 251,000 children, and more than 85,000 persons with disabilities. Support across Food Security, Shelter, and Protection helped stabilize communities during the lean season. WFP provided food assistance to over 216,000 people, reducing acute food insecurity, while IOM and UNHCR improved shelter conditions for more than 114,000 individuals through repairs and winterization. Protection efforts reached over 60,000 women and girls with GBV services through UNFPA. Mine Action partners, led by UNMAS, cleared 17.5 million square meters of contaminated land, reducing explosive hazards for communities and schools. UNOPS strengthened AAP mechanisms, improving community engagement. Overall, this allocation enabled a coordinated, multi-sectoral response that delivered timely support and reinforced household resilience during Afghanistan’s harsh winter.The CERF allocation greatly improved the timeliness and coherence of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan by enabling rapid, life‑saving interventions across key sectors. WFP addressed urgent food needs during the lean season, while IOM and UNHCR delivered critical winterization and shelter support that strengthened household resilience. UNFPA expanded essential services for survivors of gender-based violence, and UNMAS reduced explosive risks by clearing contaminated areas, improving community safety. Cash assistance enabled fast winter support, helping prevent deaths during the harsh 2023/2024 season. CERF also strengthened AAP efforts through a UNOPS‑led pilot that improved community feedback and data analysis. The allocation reinforced coordination across agencies, clusters, and OCHA, promoting joint planning and reducing duplication, which contributed to a more integrated and effective humanitarian response.IOM;UNFPA;UNHCR;UNMAS;UNOPS;WFPHost communities;Refugees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons20612124.00004538676448372023-12-26T00:00:002023-12-12T00:00:002023-12-31T00:00:002024-08-10T00:00:002025-08-31T00:00:0020612124.00002023-08-30T00:00:00Summary will be available soon.PReport Available1039202323-RR-AFG-619628AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response16DisplacementConflict-relatedAfghanistan RR Application Dec 2023 (Displacement)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia1100000Afghanistan saw a sudden and significant arrival of Afghan returnees from Pakistan, with over 303,000 people arriving since mid-September. This marked a four-fold increase from the number of returnees between January and August 2023. Around 135,000 people arrived during the first nine days of November alone. The majority of these returnees entered Nangarhar Province, arriving with minimal possessions and facing immediate challenges, including a lack of shelter and basic necessities. An emergency appeal was launched to support 720,000 returning undocumented Afghans and 50,000 returning Afghan refugees, covering the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024, requiring a total of $117.8 million.In response to the crisis, CERF allocated $10 million from its Rapid Response window for the immediate commencement of life-saving activities. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 564,009 people, including 145,644 women, 134,889 men, 283,476 children, and 65,785 people with disabilities in Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Food Security, Health, Multi-Purpose Cash, Child Protection and Protection from Gender-based Violence, Shelter and Non-Food Items and WASH sectors.The CERF allocation facilitated the rapid delivery of assistance to affected people, as it was among the first to be released during the initial influx of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. This funding enabled the swift scale-up of services for many returnees at the end of 2023, when returns peaked. CERF funds provided essential support to vulnerable families undertaking uncertain return journeys, helping them meet their most urgent needs and safeguarding vulnerable individuals. The funding also enhanced coordination within the humanitarian community. CERF funding played a pivotal role in facilitating collaboration among actors providing humanitarian assistance. UNHCR leveraged CERF funds to strengthen coordination through close engagement with clusters during allocation and implementation. WFP participated in a joint CERF-funded response alongside other humanitarian agencies. WHO benefited from CERF funding to deliver coordinated healthcare services, including ambulance support, mental health and psychosocial assistance, and initiatives to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) for returnees. This collective effort ensured that the humanitarian response effectively addressed the immediate needs of the most vulnerable people.IOM;UNFPA;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFP;WHOHost communities;Returnees10009839.00002325025640092023-12-11T00:00:002023-12-05T00:00:002023-12-13T00:00:002024-04-01T00:00:002024-09-16T00:00:0010009839.00002023-11-16T00:00:00Afghanistan has seen a sudden and significant arrival of Afghan returnees from Pakistan, with over 303,000 people arriving since mid-September. This marks a four-fold increase from the number of returnees between January and August 2023. Some 135,000 people arrived during just the first nine days of November. The majority of these returnees are entering Nangarhar Province, arriving with minimal possessions and facing immediate challenges, including a lack of shelter and basic necessities. An emergency appeal to support 720,000 returning undocumented Afghans and 50,000 returning Afghan refugees has been launched covering the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024, and requires a total of $117.8 million. In response, the Emergency Relief Coordinator on 16 November 2023 allocated $10 million from CERF’s rapid response window for life-saving humanitarian action. The CERF allocation supports an immediate humanitarian response, including protection screening, psychosocial support, water, sanitation, hygiene and health assistance, and assistance to meet the basic needs of the returnees such as food, cash and transport.PUnder Implementation14532025CERF-AFG-25-UF-14538AfghanistanAFG2Underfunded Emergencies19Post-conflict NeedsConflict-relatedCERF Underfunded Emergencies: Afghanistan 2025 (Post-conflict needs)1Conflict-related2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia22900000The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to worsen due to protracted conflict, economic collapse, climate challenges, and systemic gender-based restrictions, leaving over half the population—22.9 million people—in need of humanitarian assistance. The response remains critically underfunded, limiting relief efforts. The health system is struggling, with funding shortages causing the closure of 220 health facilities. Access to essential medicines and maternal care is restricted, increasing preventable diseases and maternal mortality. Over 875,000 children and 728,000 women are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. Water and sanitation conditions are dire, with 21 million people lacking safe water access. This exacerbates disease outbreaks like cholera. Women and girls face exclusion from schools and workplaces, intensifying gender-based violence and economic dependency.The RC/HC is using this CERF UFE allocation to safeguard the survival and dignity of women and children (especially girls) in Afghanistan who have been bearing the brunt of the protracted humanitarian crisis combined with systemic restrictions from public services and livelihoods. The CERF allocation complements a $29.5 million allocation of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, launched in March, together targeting districts identified with the greatest needs and response gaps. The CERF allocation funds select interventions to support vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children, through the provision of essential services and protection at family and community levels. The allocation promotes the leadership and technical capacity of national NGOs, including women-led organizations (WLOs), recognizing the vital role they play in providing culturally appropriate solutions for women and girls to access humanitarian assistance. UN agencies are working with these local partners to implement gender-sensitive aid programmes to the most vulnerable women and girls, including in remote areas, while fostering community resilience and structures to support them. This allocation targets approximately 1,4 million people. UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA provides life-saving assistance in the Health, Nutrition, WASH and Protection (GBV) sectors, utilizing cash assistance to the extent feasible. In addition to the regular UFE funding envelope of $19 million, UNICEF, with $1 million from a dedicated thematic funding envelope, are implementing a WASH project to promote climate-smart humanitarian action to enhance crisis-affected communities' adaptive capacity and resilience to future climate shocks and stresses.UNFPA;UNICEF;WHOReturnees;Other affected persons19966141.000013836262025-07-07T00:00:002025-06-06T00:00:002025-07-17T00:00:002026-01-15T00:00:002026-10-16T00:00:0019966141.00002025-02-08T00:00:00The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to worsen due to protracted conflict, economic collapse, climate challenges, and systemic gender-based restrictions, leaving over half the population—22.9 million people—in need of humanitarian assistance. The response remains critically underfunded, limiting relief efforts. The health system is struggling, with funding shortages causing the closure of 220 health facilities. Access to essential medicines and maternal care is restricted, increasing preventable diseases and maternal mortality. Over 875,000 children and 728,000 women are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. Water and sanitation conditions are dire, with 21 million people lacking safe water access. This exacerbates disease outbreaks like cholera. Women and girls face exclusion from schools and workplaces, intensifying gender-based violence and economic dependency.PReport Available14642025CERF-AFG-25-RR-14648AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response8DroughtNatural DisasterCERF Rapid Response: Afghanistan Apr 2025 (Anticipatory Action - Drought )3Meteorological, Hydrological and Climatological1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia5000000Afghanistan faces numerous challenges, including a shrinking protection space, a fragile economy, limited access to basic services, and the severe impact of 40 years of conflict. Additionally, it remains one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, Afghanistan is the sixth most vulnerable country and the least prepared to address climate change impacts globally. It is also ranked 8 out of 10 on the INFORM Climate Change Risk Index as of 2024. Between 1951 and 2010, Afghanistan's mean annual temperature increased by approximately 1.8°C, nearly twice the global average.To mitigate severe weather shocks like drought, OCHA, with funds from CERF, developed an anticipatory action framework to provide proactive support to people before droughts occur. The trigger threshold for this framework was reached in April 2025, leading to the disbursement of $6.6 million from CERF, providing over 200,000 people with cash support, livestock protection packages, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, protection, and health activities. This allocation complements a $10 million allocation from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.CERF added significant value to this response by enabling the humanitarian community in Afghanistan to act on credible drought forecasts through a coordinated anticipatory action approach, rather than waiting for humanitarian conditions to deteriorate further. In a context of deep vulnerability, recurrent climate shocks, and severe funding constraints, CERF provided the catalytic funding needed to operationalize the country’s drought anticipatory action framework across multiple sectors, linking livelihoods, multi-purpose cash, WASH, health, sexual and reproductive health, and protection in a single, coherent response.CERF’s support helped UN organizations (UNICEF, FAO, UNFPA, WFP, UN Women) and partners reach more than 281,000 people directly and over 654,000 people indirectly, while also enabling substantial cash-based assistance and complementary sectoral support tailored to the specific risks faced by drought-affected communities. Importantly, the allocation supported assistance designed to protect productive assets, sustain access to essential services, reduce negative coping strategies, and address the distinct needs of women- and girl-headed households and other groups facing heightened vulnerability. In several components, partners met or exceeded planned targets, while the allocation also helped unlock complementary resources and operational synergies, including through shared targeting, joint training, and aligned implementation across agencies.Beyond the immediate results, CERF’s added value was also strategic. It created a platform for inter-agency learning on what works in anticipatory action in Afghanistan, generated evidence for future refinement of triggers, timing, and intervention packages, and reinforced the collective shift toward more risk-informed, forward-looking humanitarian action. As such, CERF not only funded life-saving assistance but also strengthened the humanitarian system’s ability to anticipate, coordinate, and adapt in the face of growing climate-related risks.FAO;UN Women;UNFPA;UNICEF;WFPHost communities;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons6685907.00002179962025-04-30T00:00:002025-05-01T00:00:002025-09-03T00:00:002026-05-07T00:00:006685907.00002025-04-17T00:00:00In addition to a shrinking protection space, a fragile economy, insufficient access to basic service and severe impact from 40 years of conflict, Afghanistan also remains one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, Afghanistan is the sixth most vulnerable country and least ready to address the impacts of climate change globally, and is currently ranked 8/10 on the INFORM Climate Change Risk Index. Overall, Afghanistan has a CERF index for Risk and Vulnerability (CIRV) score of 74/100 as of 23 July 2024, making it one of the top 5 most vulnerable countries globally. Between 1951 and 2010, Afghanistan’s mean annual temperature increased by some 1.8°C - nearly twice the global average. According to climate change models, future increases in mean annual temperature in Afghanistan are expected to be considerably higher than the global average, resulting in increased risk of drought and annual droughts in many parts of the country likely becoming the norm by 2030. Already, in four of the last five years, Afghanistan faced consecutive droughts, which delivered a devastating blow to people's ability to cope and an uncomparable level of depletion of groundwater (in many areas up to 30 meters deep). In 2025, almost half of the population – some 22.9 million people – will require humanitarian assistance to survive.PCompleted14792025CERF-AFG-25-RR-14798AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response29Displacement/MigrationCERF Rapid Response: Afghanistan Jul 2025 (Returnees from Iran)0Internal strife2Man-made10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia1200000The return of undocumented Afghan migrants, particularly from Iran, compounded by earlier returns from Pakistan in 2025, has overwhelmed the country’s fragile infrastructure. Between September 2023 and April 2025, over 2.43 million Afghans returned from both countries, including nearly 145,000 in refugee-like situations. In 2025, conflict in Iran has driven daily returnee numbers to unprecedented levels, peaking at 40,000 on July 4. By mid-July, nearly 1.3 million Afghans had returned, with Iran accounting for the vast majority. The Iranian government’s directive for Afghan nationals to leave by 6 July has further accelerated this trend, with projections suggesting up to 2 million more returns. Border facilities are overwhelmed, and the demographic profile of returnees has shifted toward vulnerable groups such as families, women-headed households, and unaccompanied children. These populations face acute challenges including lack of shelter, food, healthcare, and documentation, which hinders access to services and integration. Social tensions are rising in host communities due to competition for scarce resources. Alarmingly, there’s been a spike in negative coping mechanisms, including gender-based violence and exploitation, with protection concerns intensifying—especially for the 80,000 children who crossed from Iran.In response to the crisis, CERF allocated $10 million to enable UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 560,211 people, including 160,244 women, 177,110 men, 222,857 children, and 139,088 people with disabilities in the Camp Coordination - Camp management, Food Security (food assistance), Protection and Shelter and Non-Food Items sectors, using multipurpose cash as a modality.IOM;UNHCR;WFPReturnees10000000.00005602112025-08-13T00:00:002025-08-06T00:00:002025-08-14T00:00:002025-11-06T00:00:002026-05-15T00:00:0010000000.00002025-07-19T00:00:00The return of undocumented Afghan migrants, particularly from Iran, compounded by earlier returns from Pakistan in 2025, has overwhelmed the country’s fragile infrastructure. Between September 2023 and April 2025, over 2.43 million Afghans returned from both countries, including nearly 145,000 in refugee-like situations. In 2025, conflict in Iran has driven daily returnee numbers to unprecedented levels, peaking at 40,000 on July 4. By mid-July, nearly 1.3 million Afghans had returned, with Iran accounting for the vast majority. The Iranian government’s directive for Afghan nationals to leave by 6 July has further accelerated this trend, with projections suggesting up to 2 million more returns. Border facilities are overwhelmed, and the demographic profile of returnees has shifted toward vulnerable groups such as families, women-headed households, and unaccompanied children. These populations face acute challenges including lack of shelter, food, healthcare, and documentation, which hinders access to services and integration. Social tensions are rising in host communities due to competition for scarce resources. Alarmingly, there’s been a spike in negative coping mechanisms, including gender-based violence and exploitation, with protection concerns intensifying—especially for the 80,000 children who crossed from Iran.PCompleted14842025CERF-AFG-25-RR-14848AfghanistanAFG3Rapid Response1EarthquakeNatural DisasterCERF Rapid Response: Afghanistan Sep 2025 (Earthquake)3Geophysical1Natural Disaster10Southern Asia13Southern Asia3Asia1500000On 31 August 2025, a 6+ magnitude earthquake struck the eastern region of Afghanistan, with epicentre in Nurgal district near the Pakistan border. The shock, compounded by preceding heavy rain and the prevalence of weak dry-masonry housing, triggered landslides and widespread structural collapse, particularly in Kunar, and was followed by strong aftershocks. As of 8 September, more than 2,150 people have been confirmed dead, over 3,300 injured, and more than 6,500 houses destroyed or severely damaged. Power and telecommunications were disrupted, many communities remain isolated, and winter conditions are approaching in highland areas. An estimated 498,800 people were in need, with a planned multi-sector reach of about 456,000 people during September to December 2025.The most urgent humanitarian needs are in the Shelter/NFI (Thousands of families are sleeping in the open or under makeshift cover. Immediate needs include tents, ESNFI kits, emergency and seismic-resistant repair support, winter items and fuel, rubble removal, and technical damage assessments), WASH (76 water sources damaged; unsafe practices increasing disease risk), Health, Food Security and Nutrition (hospitals overwhelmed; massive livestock losses), Protection and Education (GBV, family separation, unexploded ordnance. Access to the affected areas is constrained by landslides and roads blocked.In response to the crisis, the Emergency Relief Coordinator on 1 September 2025 allocated US$5 million from CERF’s rapid response window for humanitarian action. This CERF allocation will enable UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 143,710 people, including 29,830 women, 30,106 men, 83,774 children, and 11,665 people with disabilities in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Food Security (food assistance and agriculture), Protection (child protection) Shelter and Non-Food Items and Common Services (logistics) sectors. This CERF allocation of $5 million is complemented by an AHF Reserve Allocation of $5 million, bringing immediate pooled-fund resources to $10 million.FAO;IOM;UNHCR;UNICEF;WFPHost communities;Returnees;Internally displaced persons;Other affected persons4997935.00001437102025-09-15T00:00:002025-09-12T00:00:002025-09-19T00:00:002025-12-30T00:00:002026-06-23T00:00:004997935.00002025-09-01T00:00:00On 31 August 2025, a 6+ magnitude earthquake struck the eastern region of Afghanistan, with epicentre in Nurgal district near the Pakistan border. The shock, compounded by preceding heavy rain and the prevalence of weak dry-masonry housing, triggered landslides and widespread structural collapse, particularly in Kunar, and was followed by strong aftershocks. As of 8 September, more than 2,150 people have been confirmed dead, over 3,300 injured, and more than 6,500 houses destroyed or severely damaged. Power and telecommunications were disrupted, many communities remain isolated, and winter conditions are approaching in highland areas. An estimated 498,800 people were in need, with a planned multi-sector reach of about 456,000 people during September to December 2025.The most urgent humanitarian needs are in the Shelter/NFI (Thousands of families are sleeping in the open or under makeshift cover. Immediate needs include tents, ESNFI kits, emergency and seismic-resistant repair support, winter items and fuel, rubble removal, and technical damage assessments), WASH (76 water sources damaged; unsafe practices increasing disease risk), Health, Food Security and Nutrition (hospitals overwhelmed; massive livestock losses), Protection and Education (GBV, family separation, unexploded ordnance. Access to the affected areas is constrained by landslides and roads blocked.