Disaster Response Afghanistan Project #53443

Support and Protect Families in Afghanistan

by The HALO Trust

Project Report | Aug 29, 2022
HALO's work in Ghorak District

By Lisa Balestrieri | Development Officer

Risk Education Class in Ghorak District

Since September 2020, Ghorak district has been classified as ‘hard to reach’ due to its inaccessibility for humanitarian support. Ghorak is not connected to any of the main highways so supply of goods is challenging, as is the delivery of humanitarian support. The majority of the 18,300 people living here depend on farming and livestock for their income. Families in Ghorak were affected by the drought in 2019 and 2021.

In November 2021, authorities in Ghorak reached out to HALO and asked for support to survey suspected areas and clear explosive devices. Since then, HALO has recorded significant levels of explosive contamination.

In Ghorak and Kapkak villages, 47 new IED minefields were recorded which is equal to about the size of Monaco. HALO teams marked these areas to provide a clear warning to local communities. HALO teams are also holding Risk Education classes, teaching adults and children how to stay safe around the dangerous areas. Children are especially at risk because of their curious nature if they find an explosive item. HALO uses child friendly pictures to remind children the rules to follow if they come across an item.

During this time, HALO also responded to a community request to clear an IED from a local market. By destroying this item, vendors and community members could access the market again.

Clearing these areas will benefit over 353 families. Over 1,500 families will see an indirect benefit as they travel the land for other purposes. All of these people, who like millions of other Afghans are suffering from food insecurity, will benefit from a safer environment to go about their daily lives.

Thank you to all of our supporters and GlobalGiving for making our work possible and helping families in Afghanistan.

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Apr 19, 2022
The Difference You are Making in Afghanistan

By Lisa Balestrieri | Development Officer

Ahmad's twin daughters near the grocery store he o

The generosity of our supporters is truly making a difference for families in Afghanistan. In 2021, HALO teams in Afghanistan cleared 26,041,881 square meters of land across 24 provinces, making land safe for nearly 800,000 Afghans by destroying 134,021 landmines and explosive items and 443 abandoned IEDs. We could not do this life-saving work without our supporters at GlobalGiving – thank you!

Many families living in Afghanistan rely on farming, but landmines make this very risky. Agha, a village chief in Afghanistan told us, ‘We cannot plant our wheat. We cannot feed our families. The land should feed us, but it is killing us.’

Clearance of these deadly explosives not only saves lives, but it also transforms communities.

Ahmad* and his wife live in Balkh province with their three daughters and two sons. Ahmad spoke to us about what life was like before HALO cleared the land in his village.

Ahmad: ‘Our neighbor had a guest from Kabul visiting. He went out together with some other boys and they found an unexploded mortar while they were playing. They tried to open it up, and unfortunately, the mortar exploded. One of the boys died and the two other boys got serious injuries. I will never forget that bad accident.

We are thankful to HALO Trust for clearance of contaminated areas and for providing information regarding the dangers of unexploded mines and ammunition… we [now] collect firewood and sell the firewood in the market. HALO Trust has provided the opportunity for us to get all the benefits.’

When asked who benefits from the land that has been cleared, Ahmad emphasized that all residents – men, women, boys, and girls – benefit from the cleared land.

Ahmad: ‘People established firms in the area and use the area for grazing and for gathering firewood and bushes. Most of the people sell the firewood and bushes for their livelihood. All of the residents use the area equally. The women mostly keep sheep, cows, and chicken. Everyone uses the cleared areas.’

Ahmad’s biggest hope is that others across Afghanistan will also benefit from clearance.

Ahmad: ‘We hope that all the districts of Afghanistan will become free of mines and any other dangerous materials, as our district did.’

*Names have been changed to protect identity

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Dec 17, 2021
Living on the Frontline in Afghanistan

By Lisa Balestrieri | Development Officer

Families in Afghanistan want to return home, but explosives laid in the recent fighting are making the path home too dangerous. Read Aashir's story, and see how your support is making a difference by clearing the IEDs in their community:

Aashir* lives in Helmand Province, near Lashkar Gah City. During the devastating fight for control of Afghanistan earlier this year, his village became an attacking point towards the capital, and he was forced to flee with his family.

"My name is Aashir. I am 53 years old. There are eight people in my family altogether. I grew up in a remote village where there weren’t many opportunities, so we moved to Helmand Province—near Lashkar Gah City—and we have lived here for 15 years. I support my family with the earnings from my store and from casual labor.

At the end of 2020, when the conflict intensified between the Taliban and the Ex-government, we were forced to leave our home. Our village was used as an attacking point towards the capital. When the fighting ended about three months ago, we returned but our homes and streets had all been contaminated with landmines and explosives. We couldn't connect to other roads or reach places like school, the market, and our land. Some local stores and businesses couldn't operate as before.

About 105 families were affected. It was worst for the children—their parents were so worried about all the accidents in the area that they weren’t able to go to school and continue their education. People were so desperate to return home that there were accidents. The doctor lost her legs in an explosion and one of my neighbors was killed.

The HALO Trust came to teach us about the explosives and landmines and how to stay safe from accidents. Then they cleared the land, so we were able to access our livelihoods.

People feel safer now—they can live in their homes without restrictions. Before, the children were forced to take long detours to get to school. Residents were having to walk long distances to fetch clean water. Now they can meet their daily needs and pass through the cleared area without fear. We are very happy that HALO cleared the land so we can use it for essential needs without the risk of an explosion. I would like to thank HALO for clearing the mines in our country and village, enabling us to have safe access to our lands and livelihoods again.

For the future, I hope for security and peace in our country and village so that there is no more poverty and despair."

Aashir, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, November 2021.

*Names have been changed to protect people's identity.

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