From Crisis to Community: UN-Habitat's Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan

Jan 29

Afghanistan’s population has experienced some of the worst crises globally over the past four decades. Protracted conflicts have left the country socio-economically devastated: it has the second lowest per-capita GDP in the world, and half of the population needs humanitarian assistance to survive. At the end of 2023, nearly 6 million people were internally displaced, while in the last three months of 2024 alone, 1 million Afghan refugees in neighboring countries were (mostly forcibly) returned to the country. On top of this, Afghanistan is ranked as the seventh most climate-vulnerable country globally, facing a multitude of extreme events, including recurring floods, landslides, droughts, and extreme temperatures.

Since the takeover of the Taliban as de facto authorities in August 2021, women’s fundamental rights and freedoms are severely and increasingly curtailed in Afghanistan, with heavy restrictions placed on their basic education, economic activities, physical movement, speech and decision-making, and access to social services. As a result, women’s mental health is also rapidly deteriorating and gender-based violence is at an all-time high. Recent data shows that 68 percent of Afghan women have either bad or very bad mental health, while 8 percent know at least one other woman or girl who has attempted suicide.

Based on its long-standing engagement for supporting the people of Afghanistan, UN-Habitat has since 1992 implemented a wide range of projects. Before 2021, UN-Habitat worked closely with the government, advancing development activities in Afghanistan’s rapidly growing urban areas. Since August 2021, and in close alignment with the guidance of the RC/HC Office, the relevant Humanitarian Response Plans, and the Strategic Framework for Afghanistan, UN-Habitat focuses on humanitarian as well as basic human needs projects.

Core approaches applied in Afghanistan by UN-Habitat include:

Working with communities (men and women)
Area-based and cross-sectoral approaches
A focus on improving living conditions and livelihood opportunities for displacement-affected people.

*Informal settlements are often homes to displaced people and others in vulnerable situations@UN-Habitat*

UN-Habitat has implemented humanitarian shelter projects, including repairs, reconstruction, and conditional cash assistance and winterization assistance funded by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF). The approaches used by UN-Habitat always include longer-term considerations such as tenure / HLP rights to enable durable solutions for displaced people. While “humanitarian support” is benefitting the most vulnerable families, UN-Habitat believes in improving living environments for all people living in a neighborhood.

Based on participatory action planning, driven by community priorities UN-Habitat’s work is improving access to safe and climate-resilient neighborhoods, supported by the Japanese Government; reconstruction of health and education facilities (inc. after the Herat earthquake, through funding by the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan STFA); the increased access to water and sanitation; climate change mitigation (to reduce the impact of flooding) as well as livelihood opportunities through vocation training or cash-for-work programmes.

*Consultations with male community members@UN-Habitat*

Through its area-based and community-driven approaches, UN-Habitat’s work in Afghanistan impacts everyone living in a neighborhood, independent of their “status”. UN-Habitat focuses on the rapidly growing and underserved informal urban and peri-urban areas, where people in vulnerable situations, including returnees, displaced, and urban poor settle, often in risk-prone areas.

While the de facto authorities have put severe restrictions on women and girls, UN-Habitat builds upon our team of (female and male) community mobilizers to build trust with the communities, establishing community committees, creating an evidence base through spatial mapping and Participatory Hazard Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (PHVCA) and ensuring the alignment of priorities of our projects within the priorities of the community and their needs for transformative change.

*Consultations with women on shelter support projects funded by AHF @UN-Habitat*

*Assessments of shelters and living conditions by UN-Habitat’s community mobilisers leading to detailed BoQs and tailored shelter repair support@UN-Habitat*

*Beneficiaries of winterization items as part of the humanitarian shelter and NFI support*

By implementing a “people’s process”' and building on 30 years of experience in the country, UN-Habitat has focused on the (re)construction and rehabilitation of community infrastructure. It has also aimed to create an enabling environment for people. Detailed assessments at the household level have been conducted, leading to tailored shelter support. UN-Habitat’s work has had and continues to have a positive and long-term impact on individual families and communities.

"UN-Habitat’s work has had and continues to have a positive and long-term impact on individual families and communities."

Protecting communities from climate change impacts through flood protection walls and access to water networks implemented under the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA)

Earthquakes and floods destroy community services – UN-Habitat work support the reconstruction of schools, health facilities and water systems;

After August 2021 and the take-over of the Taliban/de facto authorities, UN-Habitat Afghanistan has implemented projects funded by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA). The organization has also partnered with the governments of Japan, Kuwait, and the European Union (ECHO), among others. In addition, UN-Habitat is working closely with UN agencies, such as UNDP, UNHCR, and IOM, to deliver these projects effectively.

Prior to August 2021, UN-Habitat implemented large-scale projects, generously supported by funding from the United States, Japan, the European Union, the World Bank, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, and Denmark, among many other countries. These projects totaled over $500 million and focused on conflict-induced displacement and returnee populations, as well as advancing sustainable urbanization and improving living conditions for peace and stability.

Voices from the community

“Since our shelter has been repaired, we are freezing less in winter and my wife and children feel more safe and protected. I am glad that we were exactly given the materials we needed and I could do most of the repairs myself, supported by the engineers of UN-Habitat.”

-- Beneficiary of a shelter repair project in Jalalabad’s peri-urban area, where many internally displaced and returnees have found shelter and a home

From Crisis to Community: UN-Habitat's Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan

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