We help the victims of flooding in Afghanistan

The floods caused by exceptionally heavy spring rains have caused major destruction in Afghanistan since April 2024. By estimate, the floods have impacted up to 150,000 households, and more than 300 people have died in the northern province of Baghlan alone. Livestock have also died by the thousands, entire fields have been washed away with the floods, and homes, roads and bridges have been destroyed or damaged.

We will allocate EUR 250,000 from our Disaster Relief Fund to support the aid provided by the Afghan Red Crescent Society. With the help of support from the international Red Cross, the Afghan Red Crescent Society can, for example, distribute cash and material aid, such as cooking equipment and accommodation supplies. Additionally, the Red Crescent will provide first aid, health services and psychosocial support, and improve the availability of water and sanitation, for example by repairing toilets and water stations.

"In a catastrophe, it is essential that help is available close by and quickly. The volunteers of the Afghan Red Crescent Society were the first on the scene to support the search and rescue operations and provide emergency aid to those affected by the floods. Now, they need urgent support to expand the relief operations," says Sari Autio, the International Aid Planning Officer of the Finnish Red Cross.

Long-term crises make recovery from disasters harder

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is one of the most challenging in the world. The decades-long conflicts, economic collapse and the decline in international aid, widespread poverty and other socio-economic challenges, food insecurity, and extreme weather phenomena have led to more than half of the population in Afghanistan needing urgent humanitarian aid. The spring floods make the humanitarian situation even more difficult.

"These floods cause suffering especially to the people in most vulnerable positions, such as the poorest communities that are dependent on agriculture. The international aid operation will help 140,000 people in 14 different provinces," Autio says.

We have supported the Afghan Red Crescent Society for decades, mainly through the international Red Cross. In addition to humanitarian aid, we support long-term development cooperation, such as improving the health of the most vulnerable populations and the communities’ access to clean water and sanitation.