Afghanistan
CRS helps Afghan women form self-help groups, learn basic skills and choose income-generating projects to work on. Photo by Laura Sheahen/CRS
For the last 25 years, Afghanistan has been plagued by disasters ranging from drought and earthquakes to war and terrorism. Afghans face low life expectancy, high illiteracy rates, and limited access to clean water, sanitation and electricity. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Today, as the country takes steps toward recovery, Catholic Relief Services helps people racked by war, poverty and drought. Our programs help Afghans rebuild their homes, farms, and war-damaged streets and buildings. Key areas of our work include agriculture, water and sanitation, education, women's livelihoods, and emergency response.
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Stats
| Population: | 33,609,937 (July 2009 est.) |
| Size: | 249,935 sq mi; slightly smaller than Texas |
| People Served: | 147,245 (2011 est.) |
History
CRS began working in Afghanistan in 1998 with local organizations through the international Caritas network. Shortly after September 11, 2001, CRS opened offices in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat, with suboffices in Herat and Ghor provinces. We began by providing food, shelter, and vocational training and materials to returning refugees and the poor who had suffered severely from drought, oppression and war. Over time, CRS started rehabilitation work, helping people rebuild their homes and farms and establish basic ways to make a living. CRS supports cash-for-work programs that allow people to earn money by rebuilding neglected and war-damaged infrastructure, such as irrigation canals and roads. With a new program in Bamiyan, CRS now provides access to education, clean water and sound livelihoods for Afghans living in some of the most remote parts of the country.
Partners
The Welfare and Development Organization for Afghanistan (WDOA) is a nonpartisan group that assists poor people in Afghanistan. WDOA places a special emphasis on helping women learn organizational, vocational and marketing skills. It has presented workshops on food processing, including sorting and packaging various types of vegetables and fruits, in Herat and Bamiyan provinces. WDOA supports more than 200 women's food processing centers and 40 self-help groups in Herat province.
