What Oxfam is Doing
Working with local partner organizations, Oxfam is helping create lasting improvements in crucial areas of Afghan life: public health, women’s rights, food security, education, community safety, and emergency response.
In Afghanistan, the mountains and valleys of the Hindu Kush are a feast for the eyes, but the farmers and herders who call this place home live in the shadow of poverty and premature death. Afghanistan is one of the poorest nations in the world, troubled by landlocked borders, inhospitable terrain, poor health and education systems, earthquakes, drought, and decades of internal strife and armed conflict.
Oxfam and our local partner organizations are carrying out a wide range of programs in the remote, mountainous region of Hazarajat and the impoverished northeastern province of Badakhshan.
Women's Rights
Oxfam looks for opportunities to support and empower women and girls in all aspects of our work. We solicit input from women on our community projects, provide educational opportunities for women and girls, fund work to reduce maternal and infant mortality, provide aid to hundreds of rural women through a kitchen garden program, and educate girls and young women on issues of reproductive health. Working closely with village committees (known as shuras) in Hazarajat, we and our partners have helped ensure that women’s voices are heard in community decision making.
Food Security
Improving crop yields and livestock health are crucial to helping Afghans achieve food security. In Hazarajat and Badakhstan, Oxfam and our partners are providing farmers with improved seeds and irrigation systems, as well as methods of preventing soil erosion. And by training para-vets and basic veterinary workers, we are working to improve breeding practices and protect the health of livestock.
Education
Oxfam is helping provide educational opportunities in rural communities. We are offering literacy training for women and supporting schools for those who only have a chance to study in the winter months.
Disaster Response
In recent years, Afghans have endured earthquakes, drought, and war. Oxfam has responded swiftly to natural and human-made disasters in Afghanistan, protecting displaced communities from deadly waterborne diseases and distributing relief materials to those in need.