150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 Appeal E-mail: [email protected] Coordinating Office Afghanistan Drought & Food Insecurity - ASAF81 Appeal Target: 1,265,778 USD Balance Requested 1,265,778 USD Geneva, 4 December 2008 Dear Colleagues, This rugged, landlocked country remains one of the poorest in the world, with more than half the population, estimated at over 25 million, living below the poverty line. Life expectancy stands at 44.5 for both men and women. The literacy rate is one of the lowest among developing countries with only one in three Afghans, over 15 yrs of age, able to read and write. Afghanistan is undergoing a period of recovery after twenty three years of continuous war and instability. In addition, uncontrolled grazing, pastureland encroachment and illegal logging have contributed to land degradation and a reduction in agricultural productivity. Since 1999 Afghanistan has suffered from recurring drought but, during the last three years, the situation has been the most severe causing a grave food crisis threatening millions of people with starvation. According to Abdur Rashid, head of FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture the situation is catastrophic. In terms of numbers there are 7.5 million extremely vulnerable people, 1.5 million of whom are new refugees. However, virtually the entire population of over 23 million is hungry. It is estimated that some 2.2 million tons of cereals need to be imported into the country this year just to meet basic needs. It was expected that at least one third of this would be met through commercial imports. But, in the current situation (high prices and the smallest wheat harvest in years), commercial imports of food and agricultural inputs are unlikely. The bulk of the shortfall will therefore need to be met by the international donor community. The United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan have indicated that there is a need for US$72 million in assistance for the last half of 2008 to avoid a massive humanitarian disaster. High staple food prices, particularly for wheat, have become the largest food security concern for the Afghan population.1 The overall goal of the programmes under this 12 month appeal, requested by ACT members Christian Aid and Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan is to provide immediate assistance and to mitigate against the impact of the current and foreseeable food security situation for vulnerable communities seriously affected by the drought in the western Gulran and Kohsan Districts of Herat Province, and in seven eastern districts of Nangarhar, Laghman and Takhar provinces. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. 1 www.reliefweb.int USAID FEWSNET report Jul-Dec 2008 Afghanistan – Drought & Food Insecurity 2 ASAF81 Appeal The assistance proposed aims to respond to food and safe shelter needs for the most vulnerable and to increase communities’ resilience through strengthening livelihoods, increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems, boosting agricultural production and increasing households access to water to mitigate against the risk of additional droughts and worsening food insecurity and water borne diseases. Project Completion Date: CA: 31 May 2009 (6 months from December 2008) CWS P/A: 30 November 2009 (12 months from 1 December 2008) Reporting schedule: Interim narrative & Final narrative & Reports due ACT CO Audit financial financial CA n/a 31 July 2009 31 August 2009 CWS P/A 31 May 2009 31 January 2010 28 February 2010 Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested CA CWS P/A Total Target US$ Appeal Targets 162,643 1,103,135 1,265,778 Less: Pledges/Contr Recd 0 0 0 Balance Requested from ACT Alliance 162,643 1,103,135 1,265,778 Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts: US dollar Account Number - 240-432629.60A IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A Euro Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together UBS AG 8, rue du Rhône P.O. Box 2600 1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND Swift address: UBSWCHZH80A Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira ([email protected]) and the Programme Officer, Michelle Yonetani ([email protected]) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal. We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation. For further information please contact: ACT Director, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Program Officer, Michelle Yonetani (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone +41 79 285 2916) John Nduna Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office Afghanistan – Drought & Food Insecurity 3 ASAF81 Appeal OVERALL APPEAL GOAL The overall aim of the programmes under this appeal is to mitigate against the impact of the current and foreseeable food security situation for vulnerable communities seriously affected by the drought in Gulran and Kohsan Districts of Herat Province, and in seven districts of Nangarhar, Laghman and Takhar provinces. The assistance proposed aims to respond to immediate food and safe shelter needs for the most vulnerable, increase communities’ resilience through strengthening livelihoods, increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems, boosting agricultural production and increasing households access to water to mitigate against the risk of additional droughts and worsening food insecurity and water borne diseases. I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBERS Christian Aid (CA) Church World Service Afghanistan/Pakistan (CWS P/A) II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBERS & PARTNER INFORMATION a) Christian Aid (CA) started working in Afghanistan with local partner NGOs in 1986 and established a country Office in 1997 during the Taliban regime, being engaged mainly in rural development and civil society mobilization. Despite the numerous challenges affecting the security and political stabilisation of the country, CA has been playing an active role in the relief sector, responding to the several recent humanitarian crisis and emergencies, like droughts and displacement of Afghan nationals. The strategic focus of the Afghanistan Programme, tailored through consultations with Afghan partners, entails activities in the following sectors: education and civil society strengthening; rural livelihoods and agriculture and skills development; disaster risk reduction (DRR) and legal and social protection of women. CA works also in the three cross-cutting sectors of gender equality, HIV/AIDS and environmental sustainability and climate change. CA has therefore gained a significant experience through working with civil society and local NGOs and it has built up their capacities both in the development and emergency assistance sectors. CA Afghan partner organisations are therefore well placed to identify the long-term needs of the population most affected by the present drought. CA is committed, through its Humanitarian Division, to strengthen partners’ awareness of and commitment to adhering to ACT principles and guidelines, the Code of Conduct and willingness to work according to the SPHERE standards. Apart from Afghanistan, CA is currently responding through its partners to emergencies in East Africa, West Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Central America and Sudan. CA Implementing partners Rehabilitation Association and Agriculture Development for Afghanistan (RAADA) CA and RAADA started their partnership three years ago mainly in the sectors of sustainable livelihoods, vocational training/income generation, irrigation, provision of potable water and emergency relief. In the latter case, RAADA has implemented a one month Project to provide food assistance and warm commodities to poor and vulnerable families affected from the very harsh winter in the district of Koshan in the province of Herat. Afghanistan – Drought & Food Insecurity 4 ASAF81 Appeal The organization has started its activities in the Western Region of Afghanistan and has recently focused its work in Herat Province2. RAADA mission statement is “Mitigating poverty and contributing to reconstruction and development process in Afghanistan through community based solutions and interventions”. RAADA’s main donors include: CA, the International Red Cross (IRC), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) (vocational training and income generation sectors). CA resources are mostly focused on facilitating the provision of and access to potable water, irrigation and livelihoods projects, animal husbandry and production in Kohsan district. A relief project was carried out last year to mitigate the impact of drought in the Western Region to meet the immediate livelihoods’ needs of the communities affected by the droughts through emergency food supplies and fodder for livestock. Moreover, RAADA has implemented from April to July 2007 an AALP "Sericulture Development Project (rearing, processing and marketing)" in Herat funded by FAO. Beside several projects of vocational training and water