Winter in Afghanistan: Burning Plastic to Survive the Bitter Cold
The cold winter months leave Afghanistan’s most vulnerable, such as Mozdalifa and her 2 sons in Botkhak, struggling.
In Afghanistan, consecutive natural disasters have worsened already dire levels of poverty, malnutrition and depleting basic services within the nation.
Between the deadly earthquakes and floods, thousands of people have been affected, with hundreds of casualties, and many more people missing or displaced.
Islamic Relief was also among the first responders to previous major disasters, including the 2022 Paktika earthquake and the 2023 Herat earthquake.
This long-standing presence, trusted local partnerships, and strong community networks enabled Islamic Relief Afghanistan to respond within 24 hours to the recent earthquake.
Years of protracted conflict, climate change, the aftermath of Covid-19 and the current political turmoil have pushed Afghanistan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Millions of lives are at stake.
Families across Afghanistan are running out of food. 23 million people – more than half of the population – now face going hungry every day, and nearly 9 million people are just one step away from famine. Half of all children under five years old are expected to suffer from malnutrition this year.
90 per cent of people – including children and people with chronic or life-threatening illnesses – do not have access to decent healthcare.
Escalating conflict and extreme hunger have forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes and seek safety elsewhere within Afghanistan, and more families have fled the country completely.
As needs increase, the current uncertainty and insecurity mean that much vital humanitarian work is on hold. In recent years, even before the latest political changes, more than 2.2 million girls were out of school – 60 per cent of the total out-of-school children in the country.
Islamic Relief has worked in Afghanistan since 1999 and is one of the few agencies to operate continuously throughout this difficult period.
We have a team of almost 250 staff, nearly half of whom are women, and projects in 35 districts, providing emergency relief and long-term development across the country.
Along with our ongoing emergency response, we are delivering life-saving food aid to thousands of people suffering from the growing hunger crisis.
Islamic Relief teams are distributing parcels containing flour, oil, pulses, rice, sugar and salt to more than 11,000 families in Kabul, Nangarhar, Balkh, Bamiyan and Kapisa provinces.
We are also running health clinics, which provide the only source of healthcare for many people in remote rural areas, and distributing hygiene and water storage kits to help prevent the spread of illnesses.
We also have psychological support staff carrying out home visits to support people’s mental health needs after years of conflict and crisis.
We aim to work with communities in need to help build a better future for the country.
Where every person lives in safety, has access to food, shelter, healthcare, water and education, and has the skills and opportunities to earn a sustainable living.
We also support Afghan refugees, providing hot meals to new arrivals as well as legal assistance and mental health support.
The cold winter months leave Afghanistan’s most vulnerable, such as Mozdalifa and her 2 sons in Botkhak, struggling.
As winter approaches, we share the stories of families facing the cold in Afghanistan, having little to protect them from the elements.
Islamic Relief is responding to flash floods in northern Afghanistan, which have killed hundreds of people and left thousands homeless.