Climate change is compounding Afghanistan's conflict and food insecurity crisis. Over 4 decades of conflict have left 72% of Afghans in poverty and 55% facing food insecurity. Afghanistan is the 6th most affected by climate change, experiencing more frequent droughts and floods that disrupt agriculture and livelihoods. The recent political transition and mass evacuations have further destabilized the country. To tackle these interconnected issues, Afghanistan will need multi-sectoral development approaches through integrated, scalable interventions aligned with the SDGs and informed by national evidence and capacity. Strong monitoring and accountability will also be essential.
Climate change is compounding Afghanistan's conflict and food insecurity crisis. Over 4 decades of conflict have left 72% of Afghans in poverty and 55% facing food insecurity. Afghanistan is the 6th most affected by climate change, experiencing more frequent droughts and floods that disrupt agriculture and livelihoods. The recent political transition and mass evacuations have further destabilized the country. To tackle these interconnected issues, Afghanistan will need multi-sectoral development approaches through integrated, scalable interventions aligned with the SDGs and informed by national evidence and capacity. Strong monitoring and accountability will also be essential.
Climate change is compounding Afghanistan's conflict and food insecurity crisis. Over 4 decades of conflict have left 72% of Afghans in poverty and 55% facing food insecurity. Afghanistan is the 6th most affected by climate change, experiencing more frequent droughts and floods that disrupt agriculture and livelihoods. The recent political transition and mass evacuations have further destabilized the country. To tackle these interconnected issues, Afghanistan will need multi-sectoral development approaches through integrated, scalable interventions aligned with the SDGs and informed by national evidence and capacity. Strong monitoring and accountability will also be essential.
and Home Economics Shahrak-e-Sabz Camp for IDPs on the outskirts of Herat City Photo Credit: National Geographic February 2020 Afghanistan Data • Landlocked country • Population: 38.9 million • GDP per capita: $517 • HDI Value and Ranking: 0.511, ranked 169/189, categorized as low human development category • Poverty Line: 72 percent • Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for approximately 80 percent of the population World Bank/UNDP, 2020-21 In Afghanistan, climate change is compounding conflict putting millions of people in extreme food insecurity and a malnutrition crisis Highlights; ➢ 4 decades of active conflict, the recent political transition and mass evacuation from the country
➢ 6th most affected country by climate change (Global Climate
Risk Index 2021)
➢ 72 percent of the population currently live under poverty, this
figure may go up to 97 percent by mid 2022 (UNDP Afghanistan)
➢ 55 percent of the population in crisis or emergency level of
food insecurity (UN IPC Report October 2021)
➢ 3.2 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, 1
Food Distribution in Kandahar million of these children are at risk of dying Photo Credit: WFP October 2021
➢ COVID-19 has further worsened the food insecurity in
Afghanistan Afghanistan’s Conflict and its Impact • A crippling and aid dependent economy with limited livelihood opportunities for vulnerable people, especially in rural settings • Migration and loss of human capital • High poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, poor health and education outcomes • Poor infrastructure and destruction of irrigation networks • High dependency on emergency interventions instead of sustainable development • IDPs and refugee crisis - recent mass evacuations Photo Credit: REUTERS/Tim Wimborne Climate Change in Afghanistan • 6th most affected country by climate change (Global Climate Risk Index 2021) • Impact on livelihoods – disturbances in agriculture and pastoralism, food supplies and access to fresh water. • More frequent droughts and floods, the 2018 drought affected 2/3 of the population and 300,000 people were internally displaced. • Afghanistan Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan – on hold due to the political transition A family leaves their home because of drought in Badghis province. Photo: Hoshang Hashimi/AFP, October 2021 Food insecurity and its drivers in Afghanistan ➢Drought conditions disrupting food production ➢Lack of employment/income, ongoing financial crisis ➢Political instability impacting food trade and business ➢Inflation in food commodities ➢Conflict-induced internal displacement ➢Poor infrastructure for transportation of food supplies
IPC Food Insecurity Report 2021
Future Development Prospects and Achieving the SDGs in Afghanistan ➢Multi-sectoral developmental approaches to tackle the issues of climate change, food insecurity and malnutrition through integrated interventions ➢Scalable, context-based and cost-effective interventions ➢Stronger engagement and collaboration amongst development partners on aligning activities based on the SDGs agenda and avoiding duplication of work ➢The need for national capacity, research, data and evidence from Afghanistan to inform the design and decision-making around these initiatives ➢Strong monitoring and evaluation, and accountability mechanisms
Yemen_ 17 million people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2.2 million children acutely malnourished due to conflict, economic shocks & lack of humanitarian assistance _ IPC Global Platform
Peasants and Globalization - Political Economy, Rural Transformation and The Agrarian Question - A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi (Editor), Cristóbal Kay (Editor)