KABUL (Pajhwok): The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned drastic funding cuts from key donors will have far-reaching consequences for millions of Afghan women, men and children who risk losing access to basic assistance.
In a press release, the council said wide-ranging cuts in aid will lead to a diminishing footprint of humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan and leave the lives of millions on an increasingly dangerous trajectory, affecting women and children most adversely.
“At a time when men, women and children in Afghanistan urgently need international funding and support, NRC and our partners are facing drastic funding cuts from key donors. This situation leaves us with no choice but to make untenable reductions in our services, further jeopardising vital lifelines for the most vulnerable and impoverished communities,” said Suze van Meegen, NRC’s interim country director in Afghanistan.
“Like many humanitarian organisations, NRC Afghanistan has been forced to close offices in several provinces and lay off many dedicated and professional humanitarian staff, with a particularly adverse impact on female aid workers. These funding cuts have far-reaching consequences. They extend from communities that have lost access to basic assistance to thousands of experienced Afghan staff that have lost their livelihoods,” stated van Meegen.
In January, the United States (US) suspended ongoing aid projects which forced the majority of US-funded humanitarian work to be put on hold or end.
Other governments – including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – have also announced that their global aid budgets will be reduced in the coming years, foreshadowing a significant drop in the assistance available to the world’s most vulnerable.
“This is the most challenging situation that NRC Afghanistan has faced in its 22 years in the country. However, I want to emphasise that NRC Afghanistan is not shutting down its operations. We remain committed to staying in Afghanistan to support displaced women, men and children and to ensure that communities affected by decades of war are not left behind,” said van Meegen.
Since January, NRC has been forced to close two of its community resource centres, with two more at risk without suitable funding in the coming month.
The centres have been crucial in supporting returning and internally displaced Afghans, providing assistance with housing, food, legal assistance and referrals to healthcare providers, particularly for Afghan women who are heading their families and depend on female-to-female aid.
The sudden halt of services from aid agencies is deeply felt in Kahdestan, an informal settlement for internally displaced outside Herat City:
“NRC’s staff used to be present in the community every day, aware of the people’s problems. Now they are not here [anymore], and almost all aid has stopped – educational classes are closed, and a health clinic that was here has also closed. Now we don’t know where to turn,” said Adbul-haq, 45, who was displaced from Badghis province in 2017 due to drought and conflict.
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