Afghan children and women are in crisis in 2011
According to UNICEF, women and children are in crisis in 2011 due to severe political conflict along with natural catastrophe. Moreover, the consequence of damaging floods in 2010 added extra humanitarian needs experienced by children and women in Afghanistan. In 2010, heavy flooding throughout the country damaged water systems and badly affected the lives of thousand families. It is mentioned that violence aimed at aid workers, and worsened security conditions are forecast for 2011 which demonstrates the need for strong and effective humanitarian aid and the challenge to provide it. Similarly, the total population that displaced internally due to conflicts has increased to 440,000. These individuals have vulnerability to illness and under nutrition because of scarcity of food, natural calamity, widespread violence and destroyed infrastructure. UNICEF has estimated the need of US$29,750,000 in 2011 to take care of 23,000 severely malnourished children and 216,000 women in poverty with other humanitarian activities.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, more than 80% of total population in Afghanistan depend on agriculture for their livelihood. In 2011, one third of the total population need assistance in food supply as prices of basic foods are expected to increase more than last year’s price and agriculture sector remains vulnerable to natural disasters, extreme weather patterns and pandemic. In addition to the food insecurity as a result of flood in 2010, malnutrition of children and pregnant women is also a growing problem of Afghanistan. In 2011, millions of rural population especially afghan women and children will remain chronically vulnerable to food insecurity, forced displacement, and lack of access to water.
Similarly, according to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), the banned of Pakistani and Russian wheat export forced to increase commodity price since June 2010. The east, south and central Afghanistan are in food scarcity where internally displaced people and repatriated Afghan refugees live. The total number of these repatriated Afghan refugees is 100,000 in these areas.
Years after the overthrow of the Taliban and millions of dollars spent by the Australian Government, individuals and aid organisations, the situation in Afghanistan remains caught up in extreme poverty which is still rapidly expanding from province to province of Afghanistan. The frustration of looking for hopes, losing expectations for change and unmet needs made Afghans to move for assistance. Independent Australian aid organisation like Mahboba’s Promise have started to face the challenges for organising consistency in funding to operate current projects and for upcoming projects. Mahboba’s Promise is keen to provide assistance to most vulnerable afghan communities who need development and humanitarian aids.
