nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
Women across Afghanistan continue to be subject to high rates of violence related to their gender, although this remains difficult to quantify due to suspected under reporting and overall lack of data. The 2016 Afghanistan Demographic Health Survey  ( DHS )  findings showed that 53 per cent of women in Afghanistan have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, 52 per cent of ever married women have suffered from spousal violence, 46 per cent of them from physical violence, 6 per cent from sexual violence, and 34 per cent from psychological or emotional violence.
Poverty drives many children into paid or informal labor before they are even old enough to go to school. At least a quarter of Afghan children between ages 5 and 14 work for a living or help their families, including 27% of 5 to 11 year olds
Deliberate attacks on education including against schools, teachers and students disproportionately affect girls, both because girls' education is often the target of such attacks, and because parents in Afghanistan concerned about their children's safety often pull girls out of school before boys.
It became clear that for Kuchi herders and vulnerable farmers – particularly female headed households and landless migrants – the impacts of COVID 19 restrictions would come at a critical time in the agriculture and livestock calendars.
FAO anticipated this and implemented a project that would quickly provideunconditional cash assistancetovulnerable farmersto make up for their likely losses and support Kuchis with fodder and veterinary support to keep some 40 000 sheep, goats and cows strong during their seasonal migration. These inputs would also keep them healthy and productive throughout the pandemic and winter period.
FAO's anticipatory action in Afghanistan was possible thanks to the quick release of funds from theCentral Emergency Response Fund,FAO's Special Fund Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, andthe Government of Germany.
“We received 26 metric tonnes of life saving immunization vaccines amidst the Covid19 pandemic with thanks to ECHO,' says Dr. Bhardwaj. ‘This is sufficient to vaccinate at least 390,000 out of 1.35 million infants and 900,000 women for a period of three months.'
The EU also supports a nutrition response in view of the more than 2.5 million children under 5 years of age suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan.
Vulnerable shock affected households were more likely to experience inter sectoral needs compared to other households. Gender was a key element that increased the vulnerability of households, with 72 per cent of female headed households simultaneously having at least two sectoral needs, compared to 62 per cent of male headed households.
In 2019, Afghanistan had an unusually high number of people affected by flooding compared to the previous year, as the drought broke. The pattern of flooding was atypical with early season floods affecting locations where flooding is less common  ( e.g Kandahar ) . This created unexpected needs, put pressure on contingency stocks and required supplies to be relocated.
Some 5.8 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, including more than 312,000 in 2020.
The influx of the returnees has strained the capacity of existing services and caused concerns about their ability to reintegrate and establish decent living conditions.
In 2020, the EU allocated €39 million in humanitarian support to ensure critical relief assistance to the most vulnerable including the victims of war, forced displacement and natural hazards. Interventions focus on providing emergency healthcare, shelter, food assistance, access to clean water and sanitation facilities, as well as various protection services, targeting women and children.
The ERM's initial provision of life saving assistance allowed other humanitarian agencies to coordinate and plan further assistance in the mid  and long term, and helped the EU's humanitarian partners to deliver solid advocacy efforts for the early mobilisation of development and stabilisation funds.
Furthermore, the EU supports life saving health services for victims of the conflict, whilst ensuring access to healthcare for people in areas where regular government services are disrupted due to conflict.
EU humanitarian funding supports the delivery of emergency treatment and related psychological assistance to nearly 11,000 Afghans every month.
Kazakhstan, being an important supplier of wheat and wheat flour to Afghanistan, had also imposed restrictions that resulted in an abrupt price hike of wheat flour and oil.
Returnees from Iran and Pakistan also continue to add stress to the livelihoods of households.
Overall food insecurity is estimated to be higher in urban areas with the price hike and economic downturn caused by COVID 19.
In the months of April and May, the distribution of humanitarian food assistance in Afghanistan tends to be low and is generally targeted towards displaced populations and people affected by floods.
Although the IPC criteria for significant assistance to be mapped out was not met in any of the areas, the levels of assistance are relatively high in Badghis and Uruzgan.
Internal displacement is not only limited to new IDPs displaced in the first quarter of 2020, there are also IDPs from previous years who are unable to return to their places of origin mainly because of continued conflict, loss of livelihoods and lack of economic opportunities.
Since under reporting of domestic violence cases in Afghanistan is inevitable, with most offices that support women facing violence closed during the lockdown, it is difficult to get a clear picture of the scale of the increase in violence against women and girls.
However, both the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission  ( AIHRC ) reporteda rise in violence against women and girls during the lockdown, which started in late March.  ( The lockdown has not been officially lifted, but it unofficially ended in July/August, around Eid ul Adha, or a few weeks after, depending on individual local measures. )
The cause of admissions to the shelters also changed during the peak of Covid 19. According to Ms Yarzada, usually most women in their shelter were dealing with sensitive legal cases, such as divorce or escape from forced marriages. However, the new admissions were mostly as a result of domestic violence, including some extreme cases of physical assault
There are several potential reasons for the increased risk of violence, including extended periods of confined living, increased economic stress and increased anxiety caused by the pandemic.
The discussion about this private space for women is particularly important because every other space in Afghanistan, whether public or private, tends to be dominated by men.
In a situation of economic hardship, girls in the families are more at risk of being deprioritised when it comes to the cost of schooling or higher education. In some specific cases, security reasons also factor into the decision.
There have been some attempts to make up for the closure of schools during the pandemic. The Ministry of Education launched an online platform to provide home education throughAlternative Learning Services. However, even with remote learning there can often be a gender gap.
There was a vast difference between who could and who could not receive an education  [ through the programme ] . Most girls did not have access to the internet. They did not own a cell phone, let alone a computer, and families would often not allow their daughters to go to the centre of the district or province to access the internet and download the materials.
Gender segregation and discrimination, which are deeply rooted in Afghan tradition, underlie many of the specific challenges women face as a result of Covid 19.
These women would be greatly helped with policies that encouraged or facilitated a more inclusive care economy, such as the provision of public care services for children or the elderly, so that they would not have to leave their jobs, limit their career choices or buckle under the pressure of a double workload.
Afghanistan's communities are acutely vulnerable and highly exposed to a variety of hazards and stresses requiring immediate humanitarian response and longer term investments by the Government and development actors to reduce risk.
Abu Dhabi launched a donation programme to support the fight against Covid 19. It will put collected funds towards medical and educational aid and food supplies and anything else that will benefit the community.
Enhancing hygiene will be critical to prevent the spread of COVID 19 and will also provide an opportunity to address the long standing lack of adequate sanitation facilities for women and girls within school infrastructure.
Distance to schools and auxiliary education costs were the most frequently cited barriers for shock affected children in accessing education.
To satisfy Afghanistan's dependency on imported food; India pledged 75,000 Tons of wheat in total to ensure food security in the country. The first consignment of India's wheat donation arrived through alternative routes  ( Chahbahar and Karachi ports ) .
Furthermore, the flow of urban to rural remittances as well as the cross country transfers from Iran and other countries has been severely impacted by global lockdowns and large scale unemployment due to COVID 19.
Rural communities mainly migrated to nearby urban or semi urban settlements where security is relatively better, and land is still affordable, though necessities are often unavailable.
On average, half a million people leave their homes every year because of the conflict. Most of these IDPs  ( 75% )  are found in need of urgent humanitarian assistance as per the historical trend data from FSAC Afghanistan.
According to OCHA's IDP tracking data, a total of 65,000 IDPs fled their homes from January to mid April 2020.
In many areas, these IDPs are unable to return to their places of origin, so appropriate measures should be taken to support them.
Immediate action is required to contain the high rate of asset depletion and food consumption gaps through food assistance for the population classified in IPC Phase 4  ( Emergency )  and IPC Phase 3  ( Crisis ) . The modality  ( cash or in kind )  of the food assistance should be considered based on proper market analysis, as prices of food commodities are significantly high and border closures can further disrupt economical food access.
Food assistance should be prioritised in urban areas, especially for those relying on daily wage labour and unsustainable sources of income. Humanitarian agencies should follow government guidelines and international practices during distribution in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Introduce livelihood diversification programmes for the people facing Crisis  ( IPC Phase 3 )  and Emergency  ( IPC Phase 4 )  levels of food insecurity, especially female headed households and people with disabilities.
Livestock support, poultry and kitchen gardening are potential activities to enhance food security, nutrition and income of vulnerable communities.
Considering the regular occurrence of environmental shocks, stakeholders should also focus their attention and funding on programs to build resilience to disasters and reduce disaster risks.
The recent lockdown in major urban centres of the country as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic significantly damaged the urban wage sector. Afghan urban communities are highly dependent on these opportunities, so measures should be taken to monitor the performance of the urban wage sector and its impact on food security of the urban poor.
Afghanistan is highly dependent on the import of staple food; recent border closures significantly impacted food availability and prices in the country. Though we are at the beginning of the harvest, close monitoring of the harvest and borders are required to predict the food availability situation in the country.
Contraction in total deposits was mainly driven by generally difficult economic conditions in the context of COVID 19 crisis, high seasonal withdrawal at the beginning of the fiscal year, and closure of Arian Bank's accounts  ( DAB delicensed Arian bank, a branch of a foreign bank, in 2019 ) .
Total deposits in the banking sector declined by three percent over the first four months of 2020 from Afs 263.8 billion to Afs 255.6 billion. Afghani and foreign currency denominated deposits declined by four percent and two percent respectively.
The three provinces with the highest proportion of households knowing of harassment or attacks against women or children were Uruzgan  ( 81 per cent ) , Zabul  ( 50 per cent ) , and Hilmand  ( 47 per cent ) .
Assessments in informal IDP sites confirm that the lack of door locks  ( both from inside and outside )  on toilets, adequate lighting, appropriate bathing facilities, as well as the lack of privacy and the fear of harassment on the way to WASH facilities are considerable protection concerns for women and girls.
Women and children are at particular risk of exposure to household air pollution as they stay at home more than men.
Monetary and financial sector developments over the first four months of 2020 reflect continued weak confidence and the adverse impact of the COVID 19 crisis. Monetary aggregates registered negative growth while total deposits in the banking system declined. While banks remain highly liquid, there are signs of deterioration of asset quality and profitability indicating rising vulnerability in the banking system.
In the context of subdued economic activities, broad money shrank by four percent from Afs 513.7 billion to Afs 490.8 billion in the first quarter of 2020 before picking up to end 2019's level in April. Contraction in broad money was driven by 8.8 percent drop in central bank and commercial banks deposits. Similarly, reserve money decreased by four percent in the first four months of 2020 mainly reflecting a 33 percent drop in the excess reserves of the banks. As weak economic conditions persist, growth of monetary aggregates is expected to have remained in negative territory through May and June.
COVID19 confinement measures have contributed to significant increases in the levels of GBV, child abuse, and sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian settings.
Facilities adapted for people with disability are often unavailable, making this group susceptible to high risks associated with safety and dignity.
According to the survey, about 45% percent of Health partners surveyed observed an increase in health service utilization from GBV survivors, with related disclosures of intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, and other forms of GBV than prior to the COVID19 outbreak.
Survivors of sexual violence  ( SV )  and intimate partner violence  ( IPV )  rely on the health sector to ensure access and availability of interventions to prevent the life threatening risk of sexually transmitted infections  ( STI ) , unwanted pregnancy, physical injury, and/or HIV/AIDS.
School closures and disruption of education due to the COVID 19 health crisis have already harmed many children in Afghanistan by further weakening their already tenuous access to education.
On 22 August 2020, government schools across the country reopened for grades 12 7. Private schools were permitted to re open for grades 12 1.
One of the major donor initiatives to try to get more children, especially girls, into school was the creation of community based education programs  ( CBEs ) , which are funded through and operated by NGOs, with the expectation that the government provides oversight.
People affected by disasters are generally much more susceptible to illness and death from diseases, largely related to inadequate sanitation, inadequate water supply and the inability to maintain good hygiene. Outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, including dysentery and cholera, are common in such emergencies.
More than 65 per cent of returnees live in settlements that do not have access to any WASH services, whilst others stay with host communities where services are already over stretched.
But mitigating the effects of the pandemic on Afghanistan's food security could be possible through a major food based relief effort and  ( limited )  progress on conflict resolution. At a moment when the country's window of opportunity for peace seems to be narrowing, keeping Afghans from starving is one commitment all parties should be able to make.
Girls and women lacking adequate access to nutrition and healthcare will face the greatest harm due to losing access to essential support services offered at schools, such as nutrition and psychosocial programmes.
The pandemic will continue to feed vicious circles of poverty, further increasing inequalities, eroding social and economic resilience and hampering development and peace at the local and national level.
With the emergence of the COVID 19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Afghan families returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, creating even greater pressure on the struggling school system.
Prior to the pandemic, a time use survey conducted by UN Women confirmed that women are providing the majority of unpaid care and domestic labor in Afghanistan. Women spent an average of 4.6 hours on childcare compared to 2.3 hours for men; 3.4 hours caring for others compared to 1.3 hours for men; 3.6 hours preparing food compared to 0.4 hours for men; and 7.3 hours on cleaning compared to 1.6 hours for men. In total, women spend an average of 18.7 hours a day on unpaid care and domestic labor compared to 5.6 for men. [ 50 ]
As outlined in the Gender Alert 4 on the Impact of COVID 19 on Women's Burden of Care and Unpaid Domestic Labor, [ 51 ] lockdown and social distancing have significantly exacerbated the already high and disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic labor responsibilities women and girls experience in Afghanistan.
Forthcoming research by UN Women found that 83% of women saw an increase in unpaid care work and 80% in unpaid domestic work, compared to 75% and 62% for men respectively. [ 52 ] Female single parents, including unmarried, widowed and divorced women, felt the burden the most, adding to the other household chores and care work. [ 53 ]
Girls are often expected to help shoulder the burden of care and domestic labor in their homes, and as this burden has increased during the pandemic and school closures have made girls more available to perform this work it is affecting their future. The increased burden of care is hampering female students' learning time, resulting in increased learning loss, and affecting their return to schools.
In addition to dropping out of school, education disruption puts girls and young women at increased risk of numerous abuses: child marriage, exploitation, child labor, early pregnancy, and gender based violence. School closures, the loss of protective spaces provided by school, lockdowns spent at home and COVID 19 mitigation measures disrupt children›s routine, and place new stressors on parents and caregivers, contributing to an increase in the severity and frequency of domestic violence across the country. [ 54 ] School closures represent the loss of a safe space, where girls who are experiencing violence and abuse can find respite, and where there is an opportunity for adults to identify signs of abuse and intervene in their lives. [ 55 ]
School closures and the socio economic impact of COVID 19 have increased the risk of reliance on negative coping mechanisms, such as child marriage.
With many families losing their means of livelihood, girls are at increased risk of being forced to drop out permanently from school and marry early.
An increase in reported cases of child marriage within the first few weeks/months of the pandemic has been documented. [ 56 ] Out of school, children are also easy targets of abuse, exploitation and recruitment by armed forces and groups, fueling vicious cycles of conflicts and hindering development.
Schools can provide a safe space where children can be protected from violence and crises. When schools reopen, they need to address public health and safety issues comprehensively, to prevent and respond to COVID 19 but also to ensure the safety of students in and around schools. Safety measures should include measures to prevent COVID 19, such as facilitating and requiring handwashing, social distancing, and measures to protect teachers and staff, but also help to address other safety issues such how students can travel safely to school, safety from gender based violence in and around schools, and the lack of health services and social protection for girls.
Some students benefit from health and nutrition programmes through their schools. Loss of access to these programs has a direct impact on increasing hunger and nutritional deficiencies, in communities also struggling with the socio economic impact of the pandemic. The closure of schools is depriving school age girls of access to weekly iron and folic acid supplementation provided in some schools, further jeopardizing their health, and potentially increasing already high rates of anemia. Schools serve as a key entry point for providing health and psychosocial services, and that access has been cut off by school closures.
The total number of children not returning to their education after the school closures is likely to be significant. The pandemic also risks jeopardizing some of the gains made since 2001 in re building women and girls' education following the Taliban regime. The COVID 19 pandemic is creating additional barriers due to risks and students' and parents' anxiety about risks associated with children returning to classrooms that are cramped, with no capacity for distancing, often cold, damp and poorly ventilated during the country's severe winters, and have no or poor hygiene and clean water facilities.
The COVID 19 pandemic is likely to drive many women and girls out of education permanently. School closures due to COVID 19, resulting increases in caregiving responsibilities for women and girls, and increases in poverty and unemployment will all make it harder for women and girls to study. These factors combine in harmful ways with pre existing discriminatory gender norms, ongoing insecurity, and abuses such as child marriage. The likely result is that many more girls will not access education or drop out before completing their education.
Loss of income will likely affect parents' ability to afford to pay for women and girls' education. Families that cannot afford educational costs for all their children may prioritize continuing their sons' education over their daughters, because of discriminatory attitudes, and practical considerations such as the expectation that sons remain living with parents and supporting them financially while daughters are expected to marry and devote their labor and assets to their husband's family.
Prolonged absence from school, weak study habits due to poor quality prior education in over crowded and under resourced schools, restrictions on girls' freedom of movement especially as they get older, [ 57 ] and lack of access to books, materials and internet access that could facilitate self study are all likely to contribute to students, especially girls and women, not returning to education.
An assessment conducted in Herat, Badghis and Ghor found that 53% of households did not practice home schooling for their children and 30.8% of caregivers said they were not able to provide any type of support in terms of homeschooling and education to their children. [ 59 ] 76% of the respondents reported that they needed learning and school materials.
Lack of water and accessible sanitation facilities already was a major factor preventing many girls and young women from continuing their education, but now it is also a key issue undermining efforts to prevent the spread of COVID 19.
In 2017, only 60% of government schools had toilet facilities. [
30% of Afghans lacked safe drinking water, and some had no running water at all. [ 63 ] This is a major barrier to the practice of good hygiene, instrumental in effectively preventing COVID 19.
Fear of contracting and spreading COVID 19 in schools, including due to the lack of washing facilities may also deter children from returning to schools, particularly girls and young women.
Afghanistan is deeply dependent on donor assistance, including to fund its education system, and initiatives to support girls' education and gender equity within the education system have usually been funded, and often driven, by donors. As development assistance comes under strain, this could jeopardize the already inadequate funding for education, further exacerbating the major challenges the Afghan education system was already facing and cutting off funds and focus that have been crucial to the progress that has been achieved in advancing girls' education.
Install hand washing facilities at water points with a dedicated operator to ensure water and soap availability.
On 5 November, 17 families  ( approximately 200 people )  were reportedly displaced from Hilmand province to Behsud district, Nangarhar province.
Financial soundness and profitability indicators of the banking sector slightly deteriorated in 2019. The ratio of adversely classified loans  ( loans that banks doubt will be repaid )  to gross loans increased from 14.85 percent in 2018 to 18 percent at end 2019. The share of non performing loans  ( NPLs )  to total gross loans dramatically increased from nine percent in December 2018 to 15 percent in December 2019. Sector wide profitability declined with return on assets  ( ROA )  falling from 0.55 percent in 2018 to 0.43 percent in 2019. Low profitability mainly reflected a challenging economic environment and the high business cost.
Conflicts have been raging in Afghanistan for almost 40 years, and the country has the third highest number of refugees worldwide.
Afghanistan remains one of two endemic countries, with Pakistan, battling to end polio. And although Afghanistan's routine immunization rates are among the lowest in the world, a new group of women, known as Female Mobiliser Vaccinators  ( FMVs ) , recruited by the UNICEF polio programme, and placed in strategic health facilities, are determined to change that trajectory.
At the Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar city, a large crowd of mothers queue for routine immunization services. A female FMV is educating mothers on the importance of healthcare for young children.
UNICEF's polio programme is also increasing the number of female frontline workers, since women are more likely to be allowed to enter in the homes and vaccinate children; men are culturally barred.
More than 10 million under five children in Afghanistan remain vulnerable to the ravages of polio. It is their right to live a full and healthy life. UNICEF is committed to realizing that for every child.
During the reporting period, 1,743 people affected by conflict were identified to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Badghis province. Between 31 October and 5 November, 503 returnees received post arrival assistance.
A total of 32 civilians were reportedly killed and 48 injured due to complex attacks and roadside IEDs in Kabul, Khost, Paktya and Paktika provinces. On 8 November, eight civilians were reportedly killed and seven others wounded by mortars that landed near a residential area in the Naw Abad area in Ghazni city, Ghazni province.
Some 770 people affected by floods received aid in Maidan Wardak province. In addition, 1,393 people received humanitarian assistance in Parwan and 770 vulnerable people received cash assistance in Logar province.
By end 2019, the loan to deposit ratio remained close to the end 2018 level at 15.9 percent, reflecting weak intermediation of credit from banks to the private sector. Given a small loan portfolio, the banking sector remained highly liquid. Banks' excess reserves sitting with DAB constituted 28 percent of total deposits at end  2019.
Humanitarian assistance reached 1,672 households  ( approximately 11,704 people )  affected by conflict in Badakhshan, Takhar and Kunduz provinces.
Some of the IDPs were provided with immediate medical aid and 1,309 people were identified to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days.
The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund  ( AHF )  has completed the 5th Reserve Allocation. US$14.3 million was disbursed to 35 projects for shelter, health, protection, WASH, education and food as part of the winterization and COVID 19 responses. A 6th Reserve Allocation for an additional $14 million has been launched to support 27 new shelter, food, protection, education and nutrition projects.
Shelter and NFI items remain unaffordable to many and people resort to coping mechanisms such as borrowing, living with others, and moving from one location to another.
Transitional shelter and shelter repair needs remain high with substantial unmet needs in 2020 due to a focus of funding on emergency pandemic needs.
Through until March 2021, 42 per cent of Afghanistan's population or 16.9 million people are estimated to be in crisis and emergency levels of acute food insecurity requiring humanitarian assistance to survive.
People's lack of access to warm clothing and heating coincides with limited livelihood opportunities and heightens the risk of preventable mortality, especially among children and the elderly.
More than 28 per cent of IDPs use waste  ( paper, plastic, carton board, etc. )  and 50 per cent use wood and bushes as their primary source of energy for heating.
Household debt levels are also soaring, with food the most common reason for people to borrow money.
Without sufficient recovery support, the food insecurity situation is becoming a protracted crisis, that is pushing people to adopt harmful coping mechanisms that compromise their health, dignity and essential livelihood assets.
While the pandemic did not directly impact agricultural production, movement restrictions affected markets and have resulted in constraints and delays in accessing agricultural inputs – seeds, fertiliser, fodder, feed, pasture, veterinary and extension services.
Unmet needs in past years, due in part to underfunding of durable livelihood interventions or late funding, are compounding growing food insecurity needs with the number of people in emergency levels of food insecurity  ( IPC 4 )  increasing from 8 per cent in 2019 to 14 per cent in 2020.
While food needs are widespread across Afghanistan, the highest numbers of food insecure people are in Kabul, Hirat, Nangarhar, Balkh, Faryab, Hilmand, Kandahar, Badakhshan Ghazni, Ghor and Takhar provinces.
The burden of food insecurity still disproportionately falls on women who must often decrease their food intake to ensure there is enough for their children and male family members to eat.
Households are often forced to switch to less nutrient rich and cheaper foods which can have serious impacts on the nutritional health of younger children and PLW.
The decrease in economic activity due to a regional economic slowdown and weak labour markets in adjacent countries has reduced the livelihood options and value of remittances for vulnerable families across Afghanistan.
Similarly, the proportion of households with a moderate to severe level of hunger has increased  ( up by 11 per cent )  as well as the proportion of households allocating more than 75 per cent of their monthly expenditure to food  ( up by 12 per cent ) .
The September 2020 SFSA further showed that some 48 per cent of households in Afghanistan had experienced some sort of hunger in the 30 days prior to the survey, 3 per cent of whom experienced severe hunger.
Levels of severe hunger were particularly high in Sar e Pul  ( 15 per cent ) , Kandahar  ( 6 per cent ) , Hirat  ( 7 per cent ) , Kabul  ( 6 per cent )  and Daykundi  ( 8 per cent ) .
The sectoral distribution of banking sector loans remained heavily concentrated. At end 2019, the trade sector accounted for 44 percent of total loans provided to the private sector, with the services and agricultural sectors accounting for 22 percent and three percent respectively.
Weak economic activity and low investor confidence continued to inhibit demand for credit throughout 2019. Credit to the private sector grew by only two percent from Afs 45.7 billion in 2018 to Afs 46.6 billion. Afghani denominated loans increased by 23.4 percent  ( Afs four billion )  while foreign currency denominated loans declined by 15 percent  ( Afs 3.7 billion )  reflecting declines in trade credit amid lower imports.
However, in 2020 the domestic wheat harvest left a deficit of 1.3 million metric tons.
The same assessment found that livestock productivity had deteriorated for 48 per cent of herders, compared to the same period in 2019.
Shortages in pasture and fodder, high prices for fodder and concentrated animal feed, limited access to veterinary services, and poor water availability are some of the main challenges faced by herding households that are compounded by marginalisation of some nomadic farming families.
The lack of government issued identification documents continues to be a limiting factor for many of people in Afghanistan.
In rural areas, agricultural production remains one of the primary sources of livelihood and has also seen a dramatic downturn in production during 2020.
In the first 9 months of 2020, 746 female casualties were recorded  ( 251 killed and 495 injured )  which amounts to 13 per cent of overall civilians casualties.
The incidence of severe disabilities among adults and children, which stood at 2.7 per cent in 2005, rose steeply to 13.9 per cent in 2019, potentially as a result of better counting but also because of persistent conflict.
There is also a strong need for people to get vaccinated against influenza over the 2020 2021 winter in order to free up hospital capacity to treat acute COVID 19 patients.
While disability rates varied little between assessed population groups, households headed by the elderly and by women were more likely to report that a household member or the head of household had a disability, potentially increasing the level of vulnerability of these already vulnerable groups.
A 2019 study conducted by Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission into the human rights challenges facing people with disabilities found that 72 per cent of people with a disability who were surveyed were unemployed, only 53 per cent were receiving social security support, 80 per cent had not received a formal education and half faced physical barriers in accessing health services.
Where services are available, cultural barriers, stigma, and the limited number of female mental health providers often mean that women are excluded from accessing appropriate services, which is particularly problematic as self  reporting by communities indicates that the emotional and mental health of women has been most impacted by the burdens of the pandemic.
Afghanistan's repeated natural disasters create higher needs among people with disability who are often more seriously affected because they are not able to flee danger as easily and because formal support systems are not in place to help move them to safety.
While no comprehensive study has been able to quantify the magnitude of the impact of repeated exposure to traumatic incidents, it is conservatively estimated that over half of the population suffer from some form of depression, anxiety, or post traumatic stress as a result of these conditions in Afghanistan.
Despite Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services  ( MHPSS )  being integrated into the national Basic Package of Health Services  ( BPHS )  and Essential Package of Hospital Services  ( EPHS ) , nationwide only 320 hospital beds in the public and private sector are available for people suffering from mental health problems.
Nutrition treatment services have seen similar trends; analysis from the MOPH nutrition database showed a 33 per cent decrease in admissions for SAM treatment within health centres – ‘inpatient' treatment – and a three per cent decrease in ‘outpatient' treatment in November 2020.
Analysis by MOPH at the onset of the pandemic indicated a significant intensification of mental health needs amongst a population already struggling with the impact of conflict.
COVID 19 has resulted in increasing food insecurity among urban residents where the impacts of the pandemic on employment and health have been most severe.
When taking into account interviews with other household members, 64 per cent of households indicated changes of behaviour by individuals in the household over the past year, including angry or aggressive or violent behaviour  ( 47 per cent ) , social withdrawal or inability to be alone  ( 24 per cent ) , loss of appetite  ( 23 per cent ) , avoiding going to work  ( 17 per cent ) , and bed wetting  ( 6 per cent ) .
Overall, the majority of surveyed households  ( 51 per cent )  reported that the main cause for taking on debt was paying for food, with healthcare the next most frequently reported reason at 16 per cent.
An elevated prevalence of high and medium household hunger scores and growing use of negative coping mechanisms suggests that food and nutrition needs are common across all population groups assessed by the 2020 WoA Assessment, with recent IDPs, refugees, displaced households headed by women and people with a disability exhibiting indications of elevated levels of need.
Almost half households headed by a person with a disability  ( 49 per cent )  and by women  ( 46 per cent )  were classified as having have moderate or severe hunger, compared to 39 per cent of all displaced households.
Despite substantial investment and scale up of critical services through BPHS providers, mobile health teams and the establishment of trauma posts, easy access to critical care remains out of reach for many of the most vulnerable.
5.36 million children and women will need emergency nutrition assistance to avoid preventable health complications and prevent morbidity and mortality in 2021.
In the WoA Assessment, 39 per cent of displaced households reported areas in or around their home where women and girls feel unsafe.
The pandemic has only added to the fear and violence experienced by a majority of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Overall, three per cent of surveyed households responded that they had already exhausted this coping strategy  ( i.e., already married off their daughter/s ) .
The uncertainty that comes from sporadic conflict and indiscriminate terror attacks, recurrent displacement, unseen explosives, and now a new virus, has fostered a pervasive sense of fear amongst vulnerable groups in Afghanistan and impacted their willingness and ability to participate in society, access services and seek income generating opportunities.
On top of other environmental challenges, fear of COVID 19 and its economic consequences has become a critical driver for households in deciding whether to displace, whether to seek services, or whether to exercise freedom of movement within people's own communities.
Access to credit remained heavily constrained with the total value of intermediated credit to the private sector at end 2019 equal to 3.15 percent of GDP  ( down slightly from 3.24 percent of GDP in 2018 ) .
In addition to care at health facilities, an overwhelming 80 per cent of those surveyed by the Asia Foundation as part of their national perceptions survey in 2020 said the cost of medications had increased in the past 12 months.
Nation wide post distribution monitoring  ( PDM )  carried out amongst displaced populations supported by the Emergency Response Mechanism  ( ERM )  indicated significant barriers to healthcare including: cost of medicines  ( 76 per cent ) , cost of care  ( 56 per cent ) , and the cost of transportation to and from the facilities  ( 34 per cent ) .
WoA analysis further indicates a troubling gender dimension to the reliance on debt with displaced households headed by women reporting they are relying on loans for income at a higher rate than households headed by men  ( 32 per cent compared to 16 per cent ) .
Protection should be mainstreamed into response planning to ensure meaningful and safe access for beneficiaries to humanitarian services, particularly at planned distribution sites and especially for vulnerable community members and persons with specific needs, taking into account specific vulnerabilities related to age, gender and diversity.
Other reasons for debt include paying for rent, displacement  ( paying for transport ) , hosting displaced family members, shelter repairs, weddings and celebrations, and general costs related to COVID 19.
The percentage of displaced households reporting debt repayment as a top 3 priority need has increased from 23 per cent in 2019, to 38 per cent in 2020.
Comparison of WoA data across 2019 and 2020 indicates a considerable worsening of the debt burden on vulnerable populations in Afghanistan, indicating that large numbers of Afghans have been newly pulled into debt  ( that they haven't yet been able to repay )  over the last year.
Women face unique impact from this economic risk due to their more precarious financial position and insecure property rights.
While the prevalence of debts for some vulnerable groups is not greater in 2021, the intensity of their debt burden often is.
Refugees reported the highest average debt by far  ( 85,484 AFN/$1,110 )  while other population groups reported average debt of between 42,000 AFN and 48,500 AFN  ( between $545 and $630 ) .
In the 2020 WoA Assessment, no population group reported a positive average net income – instead median net incomes range from  3,000 AFN/ $39  ( refugees )  to 0 AFN  ( recent IDPs )  making day to day living expenses out of reach for most families and the chances of recovery miniscule.
Geographically, median net incomes were lowest for displaced households in Hilmand province  (  12,000 AFN/$156 ) .
With increased needs in the home and few alternatives, child labour has been reported at an increasing rate amongst surveyed populations, particularly for boys.
Natural disasters have either fully or partially damaged many water supply schemes in the east and west of Afghanistan – affecting people residing in Nangarhar, Laghman, Badghis, Faryab, and Hirat provinces. The impact of conflict on WASH infrastructure has been more widespread with people living in Kunduz, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Laghman, Kandahar, Baglan and Farah provinces more critically affected.
The pandemic has left some existing beneficiaries with more complex, deeper needs, while pushing others into humanitarian need for the first time. It has also necessitated the application of a wider lens that positions the humanitarian effort to acute needs within a broader supportive response by development actors.
Particularly high rates of households marrying off a daughter earlier than intended were recorded in Faryab  ( 35 per cent ) , Paktya  ( 26 per cent ) , Kunduz  ( 22 per cent ) , Uruzgan  ( 14 per cent ) , Badghis  ( 14 per cent ) , Khost  ( 14 per cent ) .
To understand the gender impact of COVID 19 in Afghanistan, UN Women partnered with the International Rescue Committee  ( IRC ) , civil society organizations, and a mobile network operator  ( Roshan )  to conduct a Rapid Assessment Survey across Afghanistan. The survey is part of a regional project run by UN Women to understand the differential impact of the pandemic on individuals across the Asia Pacific region. This rapid assessment survey summarizes first hand data, research and policy work on the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on women and girls, including how it is affecting employment, health, unpaid care, migration, internally displaced people, returnees and host communities.
Since the outbreak of COVID 19, 77% of Afghans surveyed reported that the pandemic has negatively affected their emotional and mental health.
However, women face additional challenges and discrimination in accessing these services due to the lack of female health practitioners and cultural barriers restricting women's travel, especially in rural areas.
For example, only 11%of men reported increases in the amount of time spent carrying out at least three activities related to unpaid domestic work. In comparison, the percentage for women was a striking 41%.
Afghanistanis suffering from one of the most severe food crises worldwide.
The shock caused by COVID 19 comes on the back of 40 plus years of ongoing conflict, displacements, sudden onset shocks and weak social safety nets, which have severely debilitated the coping capacities of vulnerable households across the country. Even before the emergence of COVID 19, Afghanistan had nearly one third of its population in need of urgent food and livelihood assistance.
The COVID 19 public health emergency has rapidly developed into afood and livelihood crisis. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification  ( IPC )  analysis from May 2020 reveals that the total number of people projected to be in acute food insecurity has increased by around 1 million, from 2.4 to 3.3 million since COVID 19 containment measures were implemented. Further, the World Bank's July 2020 estimates indicate a sharp rise poverty in Afghanistan, from 55 percent in 2017 to 72 percent.
The agriculture sector has been adversely impacted by COVID 19, according to a joint needs assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  ( FAO )  and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock  ( MAIL )  in June/July2020. The sector is the main source of livelihood for close to 80 percent of the Afghan population, and marginalized smallholder farmers have expressed a need to gain access to quality agricultural inputs to withstand this shock and safeguard their families'food security.
Without time critical productive assistance, vulnerable farming households' food insecurity will worsen further, potentially compelling them to adopt negative coping strategies, including extreme actions like selling productive assets, forced migration and increased gender based violence. It is therefore critical to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable smallholders and support the recovery of the agriculture sector.
As a consequence of the pandemic, complete or partial lockdown measures have been imposed in the country, the provinces of Hirat, Kabul, Kandahar, Hilmand, Farah, Badakhshan, Logar, Wardak, Ghazni, Khost, Paktya are in complete lockdown, whereas partial lock downs have been imposed on the entire or centers of other provinces, resulting in daily wage opportunities and small trader income to significantly decrease.
One out of four households  ( 25% )  have adopted Emergency livelihood coping strategies and nearly the same proportion of households  ( 23% )  have adopted Crisis livelihood coping strategies to mitigate their food consumption gaps.
For the first time, 11 major towns of selected provinces were also analyzed, to assess the specific vulnerabilities of urban households. Across the urban areas, around 2.48 million people  ( 34% )  are classified in IPC Phase 3  ( Crisis )  and above, of which 834,000 people  ( 11% )  are classified in IPC Phase 4  ( Emergency ) .
In total, around 34% of the analyzed population relies on income sources that are directly exposed to the economic shocks caused by the lockdowns.
The spike in market food prices had severe impacts on urban food insecurity.
Moreover, 70% of urban households reported a decrease in income. Around two thirds of them attributed the reduction to decreasing employment opportunities.
As part of the public awareness drive, Johanniter and its partners have printed the information postures on prevalence, spread,symptoms of COVID 19 and the measures to be taken to curb the spread.
Afghanistan has imposed movement restrictions in 19/34 provinces with ‘complete' lockdown in major cities including in Kabul city, Herat, Farah, Jalalabad, Asadabad and Zaranj to slow down the spread of C 19.
36% of the respondents are illiterate and among them women  ( 25% )  and men are only 11%.
Most Government offices have been working on half the strength, and only select private and government agencies are allowed to operate to provide essential services.
Key actors – the Government of Afghanistan, United Nations Agencies,  ( I ) NGOs and others – have been racing to provide support, through a countrywide ‘Master Plan' to address the virus combined with a 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan revised to take into account COVID 19.