Over the last four decades, our agility and acceptance by communities has enabled us to change people's lives for the better in 31 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. 

Our head office is located in Kabul, Afghanistan, and our teams currently work through four principal provincial offices in Badakhshan, Samangan, Ghor, and Daykundi. We also work through partners in nine others provinces: Herat, Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-i-Pul, Balk, Bamyan, Takhar, Khost and Paktya. We also have a small fundraising and donor liaison office in London.

Our dedicated team works with millions of excluded and vulnerable families in some of the most hard to reach communities in Afghanistan.

Badakhshan Province

Badakhshan is located in the northeastern part of Afghanistan, sharing borders with Tajikistan and China. A province rich in natural beauty, Badakhshan is known for its rugged mountainous terrain, including parts of the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, and is one of the country’s largest provinces by land area.

Despite this, the province’s geographic isolation and often harsh weather means the province has a relatively small population, and basic community infrastructure is limited, with many communities unable to easily access markets, hospitals and schools.

The province is also incredibly prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches, which often wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of residents, the majority of whom rely on agriculture as their sole income source. 

We’ve been working to support communities in this remote and mountainous province since 1988.

Ghor Province

Ghor province is situated in the central-western part of Afghanistan, characterised by a mixture of mountains and plains. It shares borders with several provinces, including Herat, Farah, and Helmand. The province experiences harsh winters and hot summers.

A remote province with a predominantly Hazara population, agriculture is the primary livelihood for most residents, with livestock farming also common. The province has historically faced challenges related to poverty and limited access to basic services. Severe droughts and poverty have also contributed heavily to food insecurity in the province, with residents currently facing emergency levels of hunger. Some of the worst food insecurity rates in the country can be found here. 

We’ve been working in this remote province since 2000.

Samangan Province

Samangan is located in northern Afghanistan, neighbouring provinces including Balkh and Baghlan. It features a diverse landscape, including fertile valleys and mountainous areas. The province experiences cold winters and warm summers.

The population of Samangan is ethnically diverse, with various ethnic groups, including Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun, and Hazara, living in the province. Agriculture is a significant part of the local economy, with the cultivation of wheat, barley, corn, and various fruits and vegetables. Livestock farming is also common. 

Like all Afghan provinces, Samangan is at risk of climate-change related natural disasters, including droughts and floods. Samangan has also faced high deforestation rates, contributing to decreased protection against natural disasters and soil degradation.

We have been working to support the rural communities of Samangan since 2000.

Daykundi Province

Daykundi is situated in central Afghanistan, bordered by Urozgan, Ghazni, and Bamyan provinces. It is characterised by a mountainous terrain, including parts of the Hindu Kush and Hazarajat regions. 

Daykundi is known for its Hazara majority population. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy, with residents engaged in farming and livestock rearing. Daykundi faces numerous challenges related to economic development and sustainable opportunities to earn an income, with its isolation and lack of infrastructure hindering access to education and healthcare.

Daykundi’s dry climate has often created high levels of water scarcity throughout the province, with families unable to access sufficient clean water for drinking, washing, cooking and agriculture. 

Daykundi is Afghanaid’s newest province - we expanded our project activities into this beautiful mountainous region of Afghanistan for the first time in 2018.

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