Cafod has launched an appeal for the people of Afghanistan who it says are in “desperate need of help”.
When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, life for people there deteriorated rapidly, the overseas development agency says.
“Afghan families are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance: food, water and shelter. As winter approaches, Afghan people are facing extreme hunger and poverty. It threatens to push many who were already suffering further into poverty and hunger.”
Cafod has local partners who are preparing to provide food, shelter and cash assistance to vulnerable families.
The aim is to support more than 4,000 displaced Afghan families by gaining them access clean drinking water through the provision and installation of 200 water tanks, and providing them with hygiene kits.
“We will be supporting Afghans who have urgent humanitarian needs over the coming months – both within Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries – whilst also continuing to provide longer-term support.”
Writing for The Tablet online, Cafod executive director Christine Allen says: “Afghanistan, for which Britain’s Disasters Emergency Committee, of which Cafod is a member, has just launched an appeal, is a prime example. Even before the Taliban takeover in August, the latest upheaval in more than 40 years of war, Afghans were suffering a devastating third wave of Covid. But what has brought the country to the brink of famine is climate change. Droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense, so that 2021 has seen one of the worst droughts in two decades. The same is true in East Africa.”
Along with some scientists and faith leaders, Dame Goodall says animal gifting programs hurt gift recipients by burdening them with more mouths to feed in areas where food and water are often scarce. They also argue that such schemes worsen the climate crisis, decrease food stability, undermine sustainable development, contribute to animal suffering, and cause health impacts by promoting unhealthy western diets.
In a video statement, Dame Goodall says: “In the lead-up to Christmas, many people are feeling generous and want to help those less fortunate than themselves. There are a number of organisations that have launched campaigns, suggesting that one way to help those suffering poverty and hunger is to gift them an animal, such as a heifer. As a result, farm animals are purchased in great numbers by generous donors. Unfortunately, this can result in unintended consequences. The animals must be fed and they need a lot of water, and in so many places water is getting more and more scarce thanks to climate change. Veterinary care is often limited or totally lacking.
“It will be ever so much better to help by supporting plant-based projects and sustainable irrigation methods, regenerative agriculture to improve the soil.... this means charities must develop plans to create a gift package that will appeal to the generosity of those who want to help those less fortunate than themselves.”