KABUL – The European Union has pledged €14 million in new assistance for Afghanistan to boost community resilience and support women and children, the bloc announced Sunday, September 7.
According to the EU, €6 million will go to the Afghanistan Community Resilience Program, implemented by UNDP, FAO, and IOM, with UNODC expected to join. Launched in 2024, the program promotes climate resilience and alternatives to poppy cultivation in Helmand and Kandahar, with plans to expand to Badghis. The EU said it has so far contributed €21 million to the initiative.
The remaining €8 million will be directed through UN Women to fund protection, psychosocial support, and livelihood opportunities for women and girls, mostly via women-only community centers. UN Women also engages men and boys to support women’s initiatives and invests in data and research to strengthen women’s voices in policymaking.
Veronika Bošković Pohar, the EU’s chargé d’affaires in Afghanistan, said that this support comes at a critical time as Afghan communities face climate risks and shrinking resources.
She added that the EU also backs efforts to curb narcotics production while helping farmers shift to alternative livelihoods.
Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, said women’s civil society organizations remain “one of the only lifelines” for Afghan women and girls to access essential services.
The EU stressed its long-term commitment, noting it has provided €23 million in support of Afghan women and girls over the past three and a half years.
