Recent progress towards political and economic stability has been made in Afghanistan, but the country remains extremely poor. In 2009 it was officially the world’s poorest country according to the UN Human Development Report.

Decades of conflict and prolonged drought have left Afghanistan’s poorest people vulnerable to hunger, disease and displacement. Most people lack sufficient clothing, housing and medical care, and seven million people are at risk of severe food shortages.

Other challenges include a lack of land and marriage rights for women, poor infrastructure and a vast opium trade. 

ActionAid in Afghanistan
ActionAid began operating in Afghanistan in 2002, joining the international effort to help people affected by war, drought and poverty.

Giving women a voice
A key area of our work is providing women with education and skills-training, and we supply a range of local services from literacy, numeracy and empowerment workshops to income-generation training.

In March 2005, with ActionAid support, a delegation of Afghan women travelled to the US and UK to advocate for the rights of their fellow countrywomen.

Education and health
ActionAid Afghanistan also provides education for war-affected children and ex-child soldiers in the north and centre of the country, and for children in rural villages. We are developing youth clubs as a space where children can socialise and have fun.

Healthcare is another area of focus, as Afghanistan's child and maternal mortality rates are among the worst in the world. We train local villagers in basic healthcare and have just completed a nationwide study on food security.

Livestock has been made accessible to many poor families in order to create a livelihood, and we have built wells to give 23,000 people access to clean water. We also provide emergency relief in the wake of natural disasters.