Afghanistan
Afghanistan has faced years of armed conflict and political instability, which has left millions of people displaced within and outside Afghanistan. The current political and economic conditions are a key driver of displacement. Many flee the country and the over 5.8 million internally displaced persons since 2012 continue to live in extreme poverty with little access to government assistance.
Deportations of Afghans conducted by neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Iran due to lack of legal documentation have caused a significant increase in returnees in 2023. Afghanistan faces increased needs ranging from humanitarian support to economic distress and an environmental crisis. Despite support provided by humanitarian actors, the basic needs of returnees will only continue to grow and exacerbate the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The total number of returnees is close to 374,600, of which 48% are female and 24% are children (WHO 2023). As of December 2023, 20.8M Afghans need protection and humanitarian assistance, while 9.2M children need child protection assistance (OCHA 2023).Unemployment continues to surge while humanitarian assistance dwindles.
Our work in Afghanistan
Since 2005, JRS has accompanied internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the camps in Kabul and Herat provinces, providing complementary education for children, vocational training, youth programs, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), social cohesion programmes, Child Protection and emergency support.
Community Development Centres provides children an opportunity to start or continue their education through accompaniment at the safe spaces for the children. JRS centres offer these children a safe space to relish their childhood and stay off the streets. Nutrition ensures that deprived children get basic nutrients through daily food rations, which parents are not able to provide on a regular basis.
The integration of Social Cohesion and MHPSS in the JRS training programmes helps the students to grow in a holistic and constructive way while being surrounded by violence. The children share their life stories and concerns with other students, teachers, and MHPSS counsellors. This platform has helped children and adults find meaning in their lives amidst the difficult environment.
The accompaniment of the IDP youth has resulted in growing volunteerism among them. Many youth have volunteered to participate in the education program for children between 4-6 years.
Vocational training through ‘Skilling Circles’ aims at providing a platform for skilled artisans to work together for income generation. Additional skill development of the youth through various trainings is conducted, based on the market assessments.
See our work
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