London, UK- 4th August 2025: Afghanaid, a leading non-governmental organisation working to improve the lives of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan, is proud to announce the signing of a new agreement with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 

The three-year project, valued initially at £22 million pounds, will enable Afghanaid and its partners within the Afghanistan Resilience Consortium (ARC) to address the complex and interconnected drivers of climate vulnerability and food insecurity in Afghanistan. At a time when 22.9 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance, this support offers a critical lifeline to communities grappling with escalating environmental and economic challenges.

The climate crisis in Afghanistan acts as a threat multiplier, compounding long-standing vulnerabilities and undermining resilience. In recent years, successive cycles of severe drought and flash flooding have devastated agricultural production, disrupted water access and resulted in an estimated 12.6 million people currently facing acute food insecurity. In 2024, flash flooding impacted every province, affecting over 170,000 people and resulting in widespread loss of life, homes and livelihoods.

Through holistic, community-led interventions, this project will help strengthen climate resilience, improve food security and reduce disaster risk across some of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable provinces. Aligned with the principled approaches of both the ARC and FCDO, and in recognition of the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on women, the meaningful inclusion and active participation of Afghan women will be central to the project’s effective delivery and long-term success. 

Speaking on the importance of this timely support, Charles Davy, Managing Director of Afghanaid, stated,

We are incredibly pleased to be entrusted by FCDO to implement this important project, and to be able to continue the effective work delivered by the Afghanistan Resilience Consortium. Now in its tenth year of operation, the ARC, consisting of Afghanaid, Actionaid, Concern Worldwide, Save the Children and The Liaison Office, is a critical vehicle through which we are able to support Afghan communities to move away from reliance on short-term humanitarian assistance, and build enduring solutions to the complex challenges they face. Moreover, in this project, the ARC will avail of the technical expertise of ANHDO, an Afghan organisation specialising in horticulture and Alcis, British specialists in geographic information services.   

In the last three years, the ARC has supported over 245 communities to build climate resilience, feed their families and stay safe in the face of disasters. Helping us continue this vital work, this partnership reaffirms FCDO’s commitment to driving inclusive, community-driven change and facilitating climate adaptation in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.

At a time when overseas aid budgets are under increasing pressure globally, and Afghanistan faces an acute shortfall in funding, this project is essential to averting even more catastrophic outcomes for Afghan men, women and children. Development assistance continues to be critical for millions of vulnerable people worldwide, and such funding enables non-governmental organisations like Afghanaid to tackle the root causes of poverty and insecurity. In Afghanistan, a country that has endured over four decades of conflict and instability, ODA funding plays an indispensable role in addressing and mitigating recurrent and protracted crises. It is also fundamental to advancing regional peace and stability, reducing the drivers of forced displacement, and promoting gender equality. 

In parallel, and with additional support from UK International Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will implement a complementary initiative to strengthen agricultural livelihoods, enhance food security and enable rural Afghan communities to better withstand climate and economic shocks. With the UK’s support, the ARC and the FAO will together expand the evidence base, share best practice, and promote the uptake of climate resilient, sustainable agriculture development practices to reduce food security.

This funding provides the direct investment needed to strengthen communities’ capacity to adapt, rebuild and catalyse change, thereby enabling ordinary rural families to extricate themselves from the grip of poverty and vulnerability to humanitarian crisis.

Through direct collaboration with independent NGOs like Afghanaid, international donors can continue principled and responsible engagement in Afghanistan, as well as ensure they continue to reaffirm their global commitments to tackling the climate crisis and reducing poverty and gender inequality.

ENDS

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Laura Rodwell [email protected]

Head of Communications and Giving, Afghanaid

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To access a PDF version of this press release, please click here. 

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Notes to editors:

About Afghanaid

Afghanaid is a British humanitarian and development organisation. Since 1983, our dedicated staff have worked with millions of families in some of the poorest and most remote communities in Afghanistan. We build basic services, improve livelihoods, strengthen the rights of women and children, help communities protect against natural disasters and adapt to climate change, and respond to humanitarian emergencies in pursuit of a peaceful and thriving Afghanistan.

In 2024, Afghanaid supported over 1,200,000 people with humanitarian and development assistance. For more information about our work, visit our website www.afghanaid.org.uk, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and TikTok.

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