Bringing light and hope to families amid turmoil in Afghanistan

On this International Day of Families, Medair recognises and honours the strength, resilience, and endurance of families in Afghanistan and around the globe.  

In Afghanistan, poverty is widespread and shapes daily life for many families: Marjan’s family is one of them. With no stable income, she is compelled to send her 11-year-old son, Ismail, out to work, whilst his father looks after their piece of land. Ismail earns a small amount of cash that is barely enough to fulfil their family’s food needs. “We are seven in the family,” Marjon explains. "My family has endured tough times due to unemployment, lack of food, and illness. With seven dependents, I have no significant income, except a small farm, which has not produced a good harvest in recent years due to drought. That land only produces about 100 kilograms of wheat in a year.”

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These hardships reflect the broader economic realities in the country. In early 2026, the World Bank reported that Afghanistan’s economy remains fragile, with declining individual income and widespread poverty. The report illustrated high rates of inflation driven by large-scale repatriation of families from neighbouring countries and prolonged border closure with Pakistan. Food prices rose by 3.6 per cent in January 2026, placing additional strain on already vulnerable households.  

Shazia’s family is one of the many thousands who recently forced to return to Afghanistan: “It has been three months since my family and I returned from Pakistan. I have two sons and a daughter, and my husband is a shoemaker who earns 20 to 30 AFA [equivalent to USD 0.30 – 0.46] per day.”

Shazia added, “My child was hungry and malnourished, which led me to bring him to this clinic. In the clinic we are provided with supplements that makes my son full and improvedhis conditions.”

As the world witnesses an extraordinary status quo, global attention is shifting from humanitarian emergencies in countries like Afghanistan, South Sudan, DR Congo, and Ukraine, and funds are dramatically shrinking. In mid-2025, Medair was forced to stop its activities in the Central Highlands region of Afghanistan, largely due to funding cuts – directly impacting families most in need.  

Families are core to Afghan society, often three or four generations live together in a single compound. Feda lived with his two brothers’ families when a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025. He lost his wife and his children were badly injured. “That night [the night when the earthquake happened], there was no light.” Feda said. “You walked towards us and brought light to our eyes. We received relief – we received aid for our urgent needs, and our injured were treated.” With the support from our generous donors, Medair assisted more than 700 families affected by the earthquake with temporary shelter, food, household items, water for cooking and drinking, healthcare and psychosocial support and cash assistance.  

Despite enduring hardship, loss and uncertainty families in Afghanistan come together to celebrate moments of joy happiness, continuing to hold onto their hope for a better future.  

On this International Day of Families, Medair stands solid in solidarity with families that persevere through life’s turbulence. We remain committed to providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in southern and eastern provinces of Afghanistan.

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Pseudonyms have been used for the people mentioned in the article to protect their identities.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.

Afghanistan Economic Monitor, January 2026

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