Women in Afghanistan Need to be a Priority in Humanitarian Response

4 April 2021, New York, NY – "Investing in building the resilience of rural communities that depend on agriculture for their livelihoods in Afghanistan needs to be a top priority in global humanitarian response to avoid a hunger catastrophe– women must be central to that response," said Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, during a Congressional Delegation (CoDel) Mission in New Yorkon Friday. "Agriculture is a key – possibly the only – vehicle for empowering women in Afghanistan," added Bechdol.  

In attendance were Joni Ernst (R- Iowa), Susan Collins (R- Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) who were part of the CoDel trip, which focused on issues faced by women in Afghanistan.The Senators also met with the UN Secretary-General, President of the UN General Assembly, and other high level UN officials.  

22.8 million people in Afghanistan face acute food insecurity, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. Approximately 80 percent of Afghans are farmers and herders who reside in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Women, who play a vital role tending to livestock or backyard food production, are most at risk of hunger.  

The combined effects of COVID-19, conflict,political upheaval and extended drought have seriously impactedlivelihoods in Afghanistan.FAO has been conducting a wide range of interventions, such as distributing seeds, tools and fertilizers and providing animals, animal feed and animal health services to protect rural livelihoods and agriculture. This is a core element of the immediate emergency humanitarian response in Afghanistan, as well asits long-term recovery. 

In 2021, FAO supported 2.62 million people across 31 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.Its winter wheat campaign supported 1.3 million farmers with certified seeds of improved wheat varieties. In March 2022 alone, FAO provided each household in the southern nomadic Kuchi communitieswith 200 kg(approx.441lb) of concentrated animal feedto keep animals healthy and productive for an average of three months, along with training on best husbandry practices.  

FAO requires USD 197 million in 2022 to assist 9 million people in rural Afghanistan, to help them feed themselves and transition to self-reliance smoothly. As of 15 March 2022, the funding gap is USD 110 million. 

"Afghanistan's incredible farmers, livestock owners and herders can bring the country back from the brink of catastrophe," says Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan.Bechdol'sMission underscored the importance of supporting women in agriculture in Afghanistan asone of the most direct, efficient avenues to help women and avoid a worsening hunger crisis.