FINALIST 2025
"If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light." –Rumi
For communities in Afghanistan, the climate crisis isn’t a distant threat - it’s already here.
Nestled within the majestic Hindu Kush mountains, Afghanistan is a country which holds a rich tapestry of history and culture, woven with an agricultural heritage that has sustained its people for millennia. Today, around three quarters of the population still depend on the land for their food and income.
But in recent years, the catastrophic impacts that climate change is having on food security, livelihoods, and safety in Afghanistan - from multi-year droughts that decimate yields, to flash floods which wash away homes, crops and livestock - has been exacerbating an already dire humanitarian emergency which unfurled following the Taliban takeover in 2021. This means that a huge number of families, who have been resiliently living off of the land for generations, are now finding themselves in really difficult positions.
To tackle the wide-ranging impacts of this climate emergency, Afghanaid and its partners in the Afghanistan Resilience Consortium have been investing in local knowledge to build resilience in Afghanistan for more than a decade. Our new film, Be The Light, explores how these inclusive initiatives have driven community-led climate action - and how you can stand with Afghan change-makers who are a beacon of hope for a brighter future.
Afghanaid was formed as an organisation in Peshawar, Pakistan to provide support for Afghan refugees fleeing conflict, and over its 40 year history has since worked in 31 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. As Afghanistan continues to grapple with the consequences of four decades of conflict and insecurity, alongside increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather and natural disasters, Afghanaid continues to deliver livelihood support, strengthen the rights of women, protect communities against climate change and deliver basic needs in some of the most hard to reach places in the country.
Working with a community-led approach and 97% Afghan team, the organisation works every day to ensure ordinary Afghans continue to be active participants in shaping a brighter, more inclusive and prosperous Afghanistan.
We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
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