Service Projects

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, droughts and floods. With the compounding effects of decades of conflict and economic crisis, millions of people are now living in displacement. 84% of the population are living below the national poverty line, and an estimated 23.7 million people – more than half of Afghanistan’s population – are projected to require humanitarian assistance. The country is already on its knees and is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

In October 2023, Herat province in western Afghanistan was struck by multiple earthquakes with magnitude greater than 6 in less than two weeks. Over 2,000 people have been killed and 200,000 people have been affected. Entire villages have been flattened with some 40,000 houses reported to have been destroyed or damaged.

After the earthquakes, staff from the Hong Kong Red Cross visited the affected areas for relief distribution. During our visit, 24 year-old Massoud was one of few who could communicate in English. Confronted with back-to-back natural disasters, he was sad and struck by a sense of helplessness, lamenting that his 100 Afghani (around HKD 11) daily wage as a hairdresser was unable to meet the basic needs of a family of eight.

Having endured earthquakes and cold waves, Afghanistan was subsequently hit by heavy rains and floods after a three-year period of drought-like conditions. 33 out of 34 provinces have been affected, with Nangarhar bearing the brunt. Sharing the border with Pakistan, Nangarhar serves as the main entry point for over 410,000 Afghan returnees since the Pakistani government announced plans to repatriate undocumented individuals in October 2023. Flash floods saw the destruction of over 500 tents with severe damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, leaving returnee families in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The International Red Cross has been actively engaged in Afghanistan humanitarian efforts over the past decades, focusing on food and livelihood assistance, health interventions, wash, sanitation and hygiene and beyond. Right after the earthquakes, the Red Cross supported search and rescue efforts, administered first aid to the injured and distributed basic relief items to those displaced. To cater for the surge of medical needs on the ground, mobile health units have been mobilized to the affected areas. Besides, humanitarian service point has been established at border to assist returnees.

The Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) has supported the vulnerable people in Afghanistan through different programs. Since 2021, HKRC has contributed around HK$ 5.9 million to support Afghan efforts to deal with its humanitarian crisis including earthquakes, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. Three staff were deployed in 2023 to assist health as well as mental health and psychosocial support operations.

Your donation to Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis will allow the Red Cross to continuously provide support to the ongoing emergency response to those affected.