The Diplomat
Eleven autonomous communities and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) have committed to support with 300,000 euros the 2021 emergency appeal for Afghanistan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The commitment by Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Murcia, Valencia, the Canary Islands, Extremadura, the Balearic Islands, Madrid and Castilla y León and AECID is part of the agreement for decentralized cooperation signed in October 2018 by the Spanish Cooperation agency with the autonomous communities and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP).
Half of the Afghan population currently needs humanitarian aid to survive. The proposed emergency appeal strategy and plan aims to reduce the vulnerability of some 560,000 people – approximately 80,000 households – affected by the complex crises in the country, which have been aggravated by other factors such as insecurity and economic instability.
The arrival of winter in Afghanistan makes the situation even more critical. Many displaced families lack adequate shelter to withstand temperatures that can drop to minus 25°C, while some of those who have recently returned to their places of origin have found their homes unsuitable for the cold season.
In this context, the operation will address population needs related to livelihood restoration, food security and deteriorating health and hygiene, as well as the establishment and improvement of emergency shelters, improved living conditions, disaster risk reduction and preparedness, gender equality, protection and inclusion. It will also contribute to long-term building and resilience in affected communities.
Apart from this, the funding proposal is framed within the collaboration agreement between AECID and IFRC, signed on May 29, 2018, to articulate contributions to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) and emergency appeals, in accordance with the V Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation 2018-2021. In compliance with this agreement, the AECID, which is responsible for the coordination of official State humanitarian aid, becomes a facilitating agent of processes and capacities of the humanitarian cooperation system, offering its capacities, instruments and mechanisms to channel financial resources and articulating the contributions of the institutions signing the agreement, its monitoring and evaluation.
