Emergency Livelihoods in Northern and Eastern Afghanistan

Areas of Northern and Eastern Afghanistan affected by protracted conflict and displacement require a triple track approach to emergency livelihoods and economic recovery. It is necessary to continue with short term ground level emergency cash and livelihoods input support, and yet also to recognise the limits of these. It is necessary to protect space for humanitarian action for the sake of relief, livelihoods protection and to cushion against ongoing shocks and deepening insecurity. However, it is also necessary to link together humanitarian and development livelihoods approaches through evidence building, advocacy, and livelihoods and market governance interventions at the household, community and market governance levels.

Ultimately, emergency livelihoods programming can create a 'hold' onto which development actors may latch, and it can help to alleviate negative coping and build resilience to further shocks - and these are vital objectives. However, emergency programming with households and local communities cannot result in sustainable or resilient economic recovery for the most vulnerable populations without significant structural reform, and changes in the current conflict dynamics.

This report shares the results of a mixed­method review of emergency livelihoods programme strategy in Eastern and Northern Afghanistan, integrating market, gender and conflict sensitivity concerns. It combines existing programme databases, evidence sources and literature with stakeholder discussions, household interviews, and focus group discussions conducted in Kabul, Kunduz and Nangarhar during August and September 2018.

This report was written by Stuart Kent on behalf of Oxfam in Afghanistan with generous support from the Dutch Relief Alliance and the Government of the Netherlands. Javlon Hamdamov, Fraidoon Amiri, Samir Ahmad and Philippa Young from Oxfam contributed support, feedback, and provided critical inputs on early drafts. Other individuals and agencies in Afghanistan who gave graciously of their time include the DRA AFJR 3 members (Cordaid, IRC, ZOA, Terre De Hommes), FAO, UNDP, DACMR, UNICEF, NRC, Samuel Hall, ADA, the Afghanistan Food Security and Agricultural Cluster, and the Cash and Voucher Working Group.

For more information on this study, please contact Oxfam in Afghanistan.