Afghanistan: Your Ramadan aid in action

29 April 2021

In Afghanistan, life is incredibly challenging for many families.

A staggering 54% of the population lives in poverty, with 1 in 4 Afghans of working age out of work.

For families without an income, daily essentials such as a steady supply of food, a safe source of water, and shelter are difficult to maintain.

When we met 45-year-old Wadood in the Nangarhar province of the district of Behsood in central Afghanistan, his story was all too familiar.

Wadood: Struggling to survive

Nangarhar is one of the most poorly developed provinces of Afghanistan where people suffer from hunger and malnutrition and the majority of families live below the poverty line.

A married father-of-three, Wadood and his family are one of many families in this region struggling to survive.

Wadood is disabled and unable to work. His children are all under the age of 18:

I don’t have any source [of income] to support my family… my son who is almost 13 years old… regularly goes to the city and sells plastic bags.

Most of the time neighbours give us food… (Wadood)

In the area where Wadood lives, armed clashes have devastated the region – displacing families, increasing the level of unemployment, and hitting the economy hard.

Wadood’s family was affected by conflict in the region. When ISIS took over the neighbouring district of Khogyani, the family were forced to leave their village and move to a new area, leaving everything behind:

We’ve been living through such difficulties for many years. We have adapted and remain patient. But it’s had a very bad effect on the children.

They feel we are like beggars, deprived and feel sad. This is very hard for me and my wife. (Wadood)

During the holy month of Ramadan, the family has nothing to make these holy days special.

Thankfully, we provided Wadood and his family with a Ramadan food parcel with essential food items to last them the whole month of Ramadan.

Wadood and his family were delighted with your support: