Acted has been present in Afghanistan since 1993, and operates across northern and eastern provinces. Acted delivers lifesaving relief to the displaced communities with cash and in-kind assistance, shelters, and water and sanitation infrastructure, whilst contributing to long-term recovery and development by providing education and skills training, investing in agriculture and livelihoods, and strengthening local governance.
Afghanistan is suffering from one of the most protracted humanitarian crises worldwide. Over 40 years of conflict and frequent natural disasters continue to undermine its population’s resilience. Returnees from Pakistan and Iran, internally displaced and chronically poor populations share inadequate basic services and scarce livelihood opportunities.
The continued deepening and geographic spread of armed conflict in Afghanistan keeps wreaking havocs amongst the population and is expected to leave over six million people in acute need of assistance in 2019. Host, long and recently displaced communities require assistance to meet their food needs, and to have access to water and sanitation facilities, as well as safe shelter and essential household items. In addition, the low capacity of the government to provide its population with basic services and meaningful opportunities hinders the country’s development, leaving 42% of the population below the poverty line.
Multisector interventions in most remote and underserved areas
Built over 25 years of commitment to providing Afghan communities with humanitarian and development assistance, Acted’s continuous access to areas in need and ability to deliver assistance where others do not go have made the NGO a major aid stakeholder in Afghanistan.
Across Northern provinces and increasingly in the Eastern region, interventions link relief, recovery and development, whilst promoting social inclusion and actively integrating marginalized groups. This extensive community knowledge and multisector expertise are leveraged as part of key programmes, including the Emergency Response Mechanism which provides lifesaving assistance to displaced populations, and the Citizens’ Charter National Priority Programme which strengthens local development planning and governance.
Responding to crisis and development challenges
In 2018, Acted provided emergency assistance to drought-affected population through: the rehabilitation and construction of WASH infrastructures, the distribution of agricultural and livestock inputs, and the provision of deworming services. Moreover, Acted provided cash assistance to approximately 15,000 conflict- and disaster-affected households in the north of the country. Linking emergency to development, Acted worked extensively with local cooperatives and farmers to create a more sustainable food value chain and strengthen farmers’ livelihoods. This also involved delivering formal and informal education services to rural communities, and building the capacities of local and district level government through the construction of infrastructure and establishment of local governance platforms. Through its actions, Acted proved its capacity to address immediate emergencies, promote rural development, and reinforce local governance.