Afghanistan
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Photo: Toni Greaves for Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Improve the quality of life of ordinary citizens by strengthening sustainable, legitimate livelihoods.
The context
Decades of ongoing conflict, political instability, drought and economic chaos has left Afghanistan one of the world’s poorest and unstable nations. Eighty-five percent of the population relies on agriculture and natural resource-based livelihoods, leaving them vulnerable in a precarious economy.
Our work
- Agriculture & Food: Increasing farmers' production through training, infrastructure and links to local and global markets
- Economic opportunity: Providing training and work opportunities in areas ranging from road-building to poultry farming
- Water: Supporting equal, sustainable access to water resources for farmers
- Women & Gender: Helping women learn job skills and start small businesses
All stories about Afghanistan
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Afghanistan: Harvesting A New Generation of Leaders July 18, 2002
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Afghanistan: Rebuilding Opportunity July 11, 2002
It was supposed to be 18 kilometers of life, flowing through rural villages and farms as steady as a summer breeze. It would be a welcome elixir that would keep families and livestock healthy, while allowing an impoverished region to claw its way to economic prosperity.
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Afghanistan: Master Trainers July 11, 2002
On the inhospitable border, nicknamed "No Man's Land", between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a husband and wife team is working to improve the lives of Afghan refugee families flowing to and from Pakistan. Parveen and Syed Safdar are Master Trainers for Mercy Corps.
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Afghanistan: A Never-Ending Struggle July 11, 2002
Physical disabilities are rampant among the refugees of Afghanistan. In the camps and villages are the stark visual reminders of the toll that war and lack of access to basic healthcare has taken on these people. Men, women and children are all victims of this tragedy.
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Afghanistan: Cash-for-Work July 11, 2002
In Uruzgan, a destitute province in southern Afghanistan, the local people define "rich" as "possessing a two-months supply of food." The worst drought in living memory and 22 years of ongoing war has left this region in ruins.
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Afghanistan: The Women of the Katchi Abadis July 8, 2002
Tucked into the dark and dirty corners of Quetta - the capital of Pakistan's poorest province, Balochistan - are hints of a refugee tragedy that has received little notice and even less assistance: The plight of the urban Afghan refugee.
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Afghanistan: Lending Assistance to Afghanistan June 20, 2002
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Afghanistan: Strengthening Education in Afghanistan June 20, 2002
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Afghanistan: A Class Project Worthy of High Marks June 11, 2002
This is one class assignment that the students in Mr. McElroy's third-grade class at Alameda Elementary School in Portland, Oregon would not mind repeating.
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Afghanistan: Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst May 28, 2002
CHAMAN, Pakistan - Not a tree, bush or green living thing can be seen for miles. Dust-devils spot the arid landscape near the Pakistani town of Chaman, on the Afghan border. It is this hot, inhospitable place that over 33,000 Afghan refugees call home, for now.