Norwegian Church Aid in Afghanistan
- Presence established: 1979
- Funds used in 2022: 197.5 million NOK
Our work in Afghanistan focuses on two topics: Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Climate Smart Economic Empowerment.
Afghanistan has a long history of political turbulence. In 2019, it entered its 18th year of conflict and disorder. With the rise of instability and insecurity, the civilians are at risk of terror, poverty and human rights violations. Afghans have many unmet basic needs and require ongoing assistance as the conflict persists. This situation is also a barrier to maintaining the positive achievements gained in recent years. Afghan women are at constant risk of abuse and violence, and marginalised groups and persons with specific needs are at risk of discrimination. By 2040, Afghanistan is expected to be one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, a situation which will further compound the vulnerability of women and marginalised groups.
As Afghanistan experiences armed conflicts and disorder, NCA is on the ground implementing programmes to respond to this situation and power imbalance in society. NCA established its presence in Afghanistan in 1979, providing relief assistance to displaced Afghans. Since 2002, long-term development projects, emergency and humanitarian response, and advocacy initiatives have been at the heart of NCA’s work. For NCA, partnering with civil society actors has been a primary approach to strengthen civil society. These partnerships with national, provincial and district-level civil society organisations are crucial to delivering results for marginalised populations, such as women, youth and disabled groups in hard-to-reach communities.
NCA contributes to a stable Afghanistan: to a society which is socially inclusive and which experiences durable peace and prosperity. NCA operates through static and mobile forms of response to both chronic and acute emergencies, delivering lifesaving services to vulnerable people in hard to reach areas. The speed and scale of humanitarian response delivery is impeded by the tenuous security situation in most parts of the country. Together with Afghani civil society organisations, NCA implements innovative long-term development and humanitarian programmes in:
NCA supports the recovery of communities affected by conflict, slow and rapid onset man-made and natural disasters – including droughts and floods – through delivering urgent cash-based and WASH interventions. NCA’s humanitarian response has also included distribution of NFI kits containing tents, kitchenware, tarpaulins, water tablets, mats, jerrycans etc.
In Afghanistan, NCA addresses gaps in economic opportunities and water, sanitation and hygiene services.
