2020 Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs Overview -- Humanitarian Programme Cycle 2020
Publisher: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Date: 2019
Topics: Basic Services, Disasters, Gender, Humanitarian Assistance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
Afghanistan is now the scene of the deadliest conflict on earth. Fighting continues to rage, exposing civilians, particularly women and children, to daily deadly risks, prompting mass displacement and choking the country’s unstable economy. Years of shocks have left an acutely vulnerable population with few economic resources, an eroded capacity to cope with the unfolding crisis and little hope of recovery if the current conditions persist.
Scope of the analysis
The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) is based around a common projected scenario for 2020 which expects the status quo to continue or conditions to slightly worsen over the year ahead. This scenario would see a continuation of the highest levels of violence, protection risks for civilians and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law. In view of the bleak outlook, the Humanitarian Country Team conducted a mid-term review of multi-year planning parameters. It concluded that the scope of humanitarian analysis and action during the past two years in Afghanistan was too restrictive and not aligned with the current trajectory of needs, which have reverted to past levels. It was agreed that due to the continued high tempo of the conflict and the setbacks created by the drought, the current multi-year projections and framework for action required a course adjustment in 2020 and 2021, broadening of the scope of humanitarian action and resulting in a significant increase in people in need.