High Levels of Food Assistance Needs Will Persist through at Least Early 2019 [Infographic]
Publisher: Famine Early Warning Systems Network
Date: 2018
Topics: Governance, Humanitarian Assistance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
The conflict and security environment in Afghanistan has deteriorated over the course of the last few years, with very high levels of population displacement as well as fatalities due to conflict. The withdrawal of most ISAF forces in 2014 has been followed by a significant increase in conflict-induced displacements in the ensuing years, with more than 1.5 million people displaced by conflict since the beginning of 2015. Fatalities due to conflict have also been high, especially for people in the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP), but also for civilians. According to ACLED data, which is only available for Afghanistan since January 2017, nearly 50,000 people were killed in conflict events in 2017, while more than 15,000 more people have died in 2018 through early June. The insecure environment has broad impacts on the ability of Afghans to establish and maintain normal livelihoods, leaving many to adjust frequently to new local realities that alter aspects of daily life such as market access, labor availability, access to grazing lands, and ability to engage in temporary migratory labor, to name a few. Against the backdrop of this environment, available evidence indicates a deterioration in living conditions for many Afghans in recent years. FEWS NET interviews with key informants indicate a reduction in local labor opportunities in many rural and smaller urban areas in recent years, even as daily wages for major urban centers have remained mostly stable according to available data.