Afghanistan - Situation report March 2019

Key messages

• Afghanistan is currently facing one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crisis, with alarming increase of food insecurity and loss of livelihoods, as a result of the combined effect of widespread conflict and insecurity, recurrent natural disasters and ensuing mass displacements.
• The food security and livelihoods situation has significantly deteriorated over the past months, driven mostly by the severe drought in 2018. An estimated 13.5 million people are severely food insecure and require emergency assistance.
• El-Niño conditions have induced above-average precipitation during the wet season (winter/spring); however, the outlook for the upcoming harvest (June-September) is unfavorable, due to the lack of access to agricultural inputs.
• El Niño-induced above-average temperatures sparked flash floods and landslides throughout the country as snowpack melts unusually early in the season, endangering cultivated areas and households’ productive assets, including livestock, and inducing further displacements, especially in the western, southern and eastern regions.
• Plant pests and diseases are some critical challenges faced by farmers and will likely affect cultivated areas during spring/summer.
• Mass distress sale of livestock, high morbidity and mortality of animals and low productivity continue to be a major concern for pastoralists (70 percent of the population). Emergency animal health protection assistance is essential and cost-effective to avoid further loss of productive animals.