INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
In 2023, Afghanistan received $53 million from the UN&s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), making it the second-highest recipient of
CERF funding globally, OCHA said in a report.According to the report, OCHA-managed Pooled Funds, CERF and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund
(AHF) work in complementarity to maximize effectiveness and strengthen ways to deliver results for affected communities.In March, amid some
of the world&s highest levels of hunger, Afghanistan received $18 million from CERF&s Rapid Response window
At the time, a staggering 17.2 million people in Afghanistan did not know where their next meal would come from
They included 3.8 million people experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity, read the report.With this funding, almost 390,000 people
across Badghis, Daikundi, Ghor and Uruzgan provinces received in-kind and cash assistance to meet their immediate food needs and emergency
resilience and livelihoods support
This helped families meet the required intake of 2,100 kilocalories per person per day, preventing a worsening of food security and
malnutrition, the report added.Since the CERF funding was disbursed, the food security outlook in Afghanistan has slightly improved; the
number of people projected to experience acute hunger between November 2023 and March 2024 is down from an estimated 18.3 million to 15.8
The number of people enduring emergency levels of food insecurity also decreased, from 5.1 million to 3.5 million, according to the
report.In parallel with the CERF allocation, the AHF released $12.9 million to empower and build national NGOs& capacity to deliver
This makes the AHF the first Country-Based Pooled Fund to initiate an allocation dedicated to localization.The report stated that in
September 2023, with winter rapidly approaching and many programs facing disruption due to severe funding shortages, Afghanistan received a
crucial $20 million allocation from CERF&s Underfunded Emergencies window.It proved life-saving, as it helped Afghan families living in
substandard and inadequate shelters, and it mitigated the heightened risks of exposure-related illnesses, including hypothermia and acute
respiratory infections.It also complemented the AHF&s largest allocation in 2023 of $109 million, released in August for multisector
activities to prepare for harsh winter weather
The allocation reinforced ongoing efforts to avert the risk of famine during winter and improve people&s food security, thereby preserving
the improvements made in hunger and nutrition since August 2021 due to the humanitarian system&s scale-up.In October, a series of
6.3-magnitude earthquakes struck Herat Province in Afghanistan&s western region, killing several thousand people and injuring scores
more.The earthquakes affected some 275,000 people, with more than 40,000 homes either destroyed and significantly or moderately damaged.To
kick-start initial relief efforts, CERF allocated $5 million through its Rapid Response window
This served as a top-up to a $5 million emergency reserve allocation from the AHF that was released to partners within 24 hours of the first
This expedited allocation was pivotal in quickly delivering essential humanitarian aid to families who had lost their homes and
livelihoods.These funds enabled humanitarian partners to provide vital assistance
To date, they have reached more than 242,000 people, including 146,700 people with emergency shelter (tents), non-food items (blankets,
tarpaulins, kitchen sets), cash assistance, food and nutrition items, drinkable water, protection services and winterization items, such as
plastic sheets and warm winter clothes.Following the Government of Pakistan&s &Illegal Foreigners Deportation Plan& decree, which came into
effect on 1 November 2023, the UN in Afghanistan has observed a marked increase in the arrival of Afghans from Pakistan
At one point in early November, the daily influx exceeded 17,000 people, a stark contrast to the previous daily average of 260 people.More
than 80 percent of those returning are women and children.In response, CERF provided $10 million to improve the response to people arriving
at the border, providing registration services, health services, aid distribution, family unification support, child protection,
psychosocial support and legal aid
These services are vital, as families endure harrowing and traumatic journeys back to Afghanistan
Many returnees have not lived there for several decades, and they have limited or no familial ties in the areas they&re returning to.CERF&s
Rapid Response and Underfunded Emergencies windows are crucial in providing essential funding to critical operations and life-saving
programs across Afghanistan
They contribute to famine prevention, easing additional burdens on women and girls—from mental health risks to gender-based violence—and
they support activities such as mine surveillance and clearance, emergency shelter, education and access to clean water
For thousands of families, this support is their only protection from a freezing winter.So far this year, the Pooled Funds have allocated
$188 million (CERF: $53 million; AHF: $135 million) to support and enable time-critical humanitarian action in Afghanistan, including to
people affected by natural disasters and sudden-onset crises.The post Afghanistan receives $53 million fund in 2023 for affected
communities: OCHA first appeared on Ariana News.
