KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Natural Disaster Management Authority announced that several UN agencies have formed a task force to evaluate the risk of a potential drought in Afghanistan next year.
This task force includes representatives from OCHA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and UNICEF.
According to Manya Vidic, the head of strategy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the team will initially conduct a pilot survey in northern provinces.
Vidic confirmed that $10 million has been allocated for drought management in Afghanistan. If drought conditions worsen, the funds will be used to distribute drought-resistant seeds, support alternative livelihoods, and provide food for livestock.
In recent years, Afghanistan has faced severe and recurring droughts, significantly impacting agricultural yields, depleting groundwater, and reducing access to safe drinking water. The country ranks fourth globally in terms of vulnerability to crises and eighth on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index for climate change preparedness.
The year 2022 marked Afghanistan’s worst drought in three decades, and the nation is now grappling with its third consecutive year of drought.
OCHA previously reported that 25 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are experiencing either “severe” or “catastrophic” drought conditions, affecting over half of the population. Afghanistan also ranks among the top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events and natural disasters, including droughts, storms, avalanches, and earthquakes.
Currently, Afghanistan faces the world’s largest and most severe humanitarian crisis, with a record 29.2 million people—more than two-thirds of the population—in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Malnutrition rates are among the highest globally, with approximately 3.2 million children and 840,000 pregnant and nursing mothers suffering from severe or moderate acute malnutrition.
