Afghanistan > Programme Description
1. How long has Medair been in the country?
Since 1996, Medair has been providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan’s forgotten and neglected communities. Our first project was a winter relief distribution to 10,000 war widows living in the south of Kabul, which commenced in October 1996.
2. What is Medair doing in the country?
Providing access to water
Medair’s purpose for being in Afghanistan is to assist communities that have critical needs. We work with families affected by natural disaster, the chronically poor who are living in underdeveloped areas, and communities who have been displaced by conflict. In particular, Medair seeks to identify and serve communities that are isolated and neglected, with no other means of assistance.
In order to meet these needs, Medair currently runs the following programmes: food aid; nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and emergency response, incorporating disaster prevention and/or mitigation measures.
3. Where are we working?
Badakhshan province:
Medair’s emergency response team is based in Badakhshan, the province that experiences more natural disasters per year than any other region in Afghanistan. Our nutrition project is also located in Badakhshan, as it is the country’s most food-insecure province, with some of the highest recorded rates of malnutrition.[5] Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming in Badakhshan is essential to reduce waterborne diseases, one of the underlying issues of malnutrition.
Bamyan province:
Bamyan is one of the most peaceful yet most neglected provinces of Afghanistan. Medair’s primary activity in Bamyan is to assist villages through WASH projects. The province’s low development and remote status makes it very vulnerable to natural disasters like drought and also to flooding. Medair provides relief in the region through our emergency food aid programmes.
4. How many people are working for Medair in Afghanistan?
Medair employs approximately 15 internationally recruited staff (IRS) and 175 nationally recruited staff in Afghanistan.
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[5] UN-OCHA Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) 2010
ochadms.unog.ch/quickplace/cap/main.nsf/h_Index/2010_Afghanistan_HAP/$FILE/2010_Afghanistan_HAP.doc
