Afghanistan
International Medical Corps was established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses to address the critical need for medical care in war-torn Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. Some 35 years later, we are still there, delivering healthcare, healthcare-related services and training as Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. An estimated 2.6 million Afghans are displaced within their own country, with 6.3 million in need of some form of humanitarian or protection assistance in 2019—almost double that of the previous year.
In a June 2019 report, UNOCHA reported that more than 2 million children under 5 are acutely malnourished, compared to 1.3 million in 2017. In six conflict-affected provinces, fewer than 20% of women receive more than one prenatal visit, compared to 64% nationally. Health facilities remain a common target of violence, resulting in the suspension of services in a number of locations. Recurring natural hazards, such as avalanches, earthquakes, flooding and landslides, exacerbate the situation.
The combination of the volatile security situation and frequent natural disasters make it difficult to reach populations in need. According to the World Food Program, huge differences in living standards persist between those living in cities and those in rural areas. The country has some of the world’s highest infant, child and maternal mortality rates, due to a widespread lack of access to adequate food and nutrition. Our priority in Afghanistan is to improve the quality of life and health status of those Afghans we serve, in part by strengthening the capacity of the public health system.
35
million
61/64.5
male/female
51.5 deaths
per 1,000 live births
The Challenges
Ongoing Conflict & Natural Disasters
2019 has seen a further increase in violence across Afghanistan
Weak Health Systems
There are only two physicians per 10,000 people, and five nurses and midwives per 10,000 people (2018 WHO)
Malnutrition
6.3 million Afghans are in need, including 2.4 million children under 5 years (UNOCHA 2018)
Poor Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Progress has been made in recent years to provide rural populations with greater access to improved drinking water sources, but much still needs to be done
Gender-Based Violence
According to one national report, 87% of Afghan women experience at least one form of either physical, sexual or psychological violence, and 62% experience at least two (UNFPA 2016)
Our Response
Emergency Response & Preparedness
International Medical Corps builds sustainable response capacity in communities and among front-line emergency responders. We work with communities to reduce their risk exposure to natural hazards, such as avalanches and landslides, and help them set up emergency response systems that can be rolled out when disasters do strike. This includes training Afghans at the local and district levels to pre-position, mobilize and distribute emergency relief and shelter supplies, and equipping people to provide first-aid and basic trauma care. We help to establish community emergency response teams and early-alert systems, and work with hospitals, schools, and the provincial and national Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority to help them be prepared when disasters strike. These efforts currently benefit nearly 48,000 people directly.
Emergency & Primary Healthcare
In partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, International Medical Corps is providing life-saving emergency healthcare services to tens of thousands of people who have been affected by Afghanistan’s ongoing conflict. This includes trauma care, primary healthcare, maternal and newborn healthcare, mental health care, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, and other services. We support four hospitals, 33 primary healthcare facilities, two mobile medical units, four trauma health posts and 172 health posts in Nuristan and Paktika provinces.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs
Barely a quarter of Afghanistan’s population is estimated to have access to sanitation facilities—a reality that creates fertile ground for disease outbreaks. This is especially true among populations that have been uprooted from their homes by conflict or natural disaster. We use an approach known as community-led total sanitation (CLTS), which mobilizes communities to end open defecation by focusing on behavior change. Our WASH teams work closely with communities to educate them on the risks of open defecation, enabling them to educate others. We do this by forming Family Health Action Groups, which work with Community Health Workers to foster behavior change around sanitation and hygiene at the household level.
We also provide safe drinking water, hygiene supplies and sanitation facilities to refugees, returnees and people affected by conflict and natural disasters in Nangarhar Province. In Paktika, International Medical Corps delivers emergency WASH assistance, including building latrines, drilling boreholes and training volunteers to serve as hygiene promoters for Pakistani refugees and Afghan host community members.
Gender-Based Violence Programs
International Medical Corps is working to change attitudes and behaviors that contribute to gender-based violence (GBV) in Afghanistan, as well as to reduce the stigmas that shadow survivors. We do this through targeted social and behavior-change activities. We also ensure that medical and psychosocial support is available for survivors of GBV through our health facilities and community-based support mechanisms, including training health workers and local partners in GBV case management and referral. Our current GBV activities reach nearly 1 million people in six provinces, including Kabul, Nangarhar, Herat, Balkh, Baghlan and Bamyan provinces.
First Responders Save Lives After Earthquake
When the ground violently shook during the 7.5-magnitude earthquake in the remote Charmango Qala village in Kunar Province, Fazal–Ur-Rehman knew immediately what to do. During the shaking, he ran out from his home to avoid being hit by falling debris. He watched as many of the houses around him crumbled, trapping his neighbors inside. He shot his bird hunting gun in the air—the unofficial SOS signal in the community—to call for help.