Sponsor a Child

Search for a Child
Back to Top
Print Page
E-mail Article

Updated: March 2009

Afghanistan

Overview | World Vision's history in Afghanistan | World Vision in Afghanistan today

Overview

A landlocked country in south-central Asia, Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the south, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the north, and Iran to the west. The terrain consists mostly of rugged mountains, with plains in the north and southwest. Natural resources include natural gas, petroleum, coal, zinc, copper, talc, lead, iron ore, salt, and precious and semiprecious stones.

The Pashtun people comprise approximately 42 percent of Afghanistan’s population, while the Tajiks make up 23 percent. Other ethnic groups include the Hazaras, Uzbeks, Aimaks, Turkmens, and Balochs. The two official languages, Afghan Persian (or Dari) and Pashto, are spoken by nearly 75 percent of the population. There are more than 30 other minor languages spoken throughout the country.

Afghanistan was originally used as a gateway to India by Darius I and Alexander the Great. Its recent history is comprised of recurring war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, withdrawing 10 years later when forced out by anti-communist mujahideen armies. In the decade of Soviet occupation, more than 1.5 million Afghans were killed, while another 5 million fled the country. In 1992, the communist regime in Kabul collapsed, and right away the various rebel groups began fighting one another for control. Amid the chaos of competing factions, the Taliban emerged to seize control of Kabul in 1996.		Afghanistan map image

Afghanistan flag
 
Country statistics 
Population26.1 million
Land mass250,000 square miles
People per square mile 104
Life expectancy44 years
Under age 5 mortality rate 257/1,000
Literacy rate28%
Access to safe water39%
Average annual income (GNI per capita)US$250
Religion 
Muslim 99%
Other (Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian) 1%
 
 
Almost immediately, the Taliban began imposing harsh fundamentalist Islamic laws. Following the attacks of 9/11, the United States launched an air strike against suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan, vowing to overthrow the Taliban for not surrendering Osama bin Laden. After five years of repressive rule, the Taliban were toppled by Afghan/Allied/U.S. coalition forces in 2001.

In late 2001, major leaders of Afghan opposition groups met in Germany to plan a new government structure. Inaugurated as chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority, Hamid Karzai was later elected by a nationwide assembly as president of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan. In 2004, Karzai would be elected by the people as president of the country. After a massive jailbreak in June 2008 that freed 400 Taliban militants, the militia that once ruled Afghanistan was rejuvenated into a force that opposes the Karzai government.

Eighty percent of Afghans are engaged in agriculture, with major crops including wheat, fruits, and nuts. Afghanistan is the world’s largest opium producer, and in 2007, production of the drug reached an all-time high despite the presence of international troops and billions of dollars in foreign aid. Concerns over the opium market are growing since a resurgent Taliban contingent is using the funds to finance terrorist attacks.In addition, poppy drug lords have created formidable anti-government opposition. Despite the opium revenue, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The average yearly income for an Afghan is $250, which puts the country in the bottom 5 percent globally. More than half the population lives below the poverty line, and nearly two-thirds live on less than $2 a day. The country is highly dependent on foreign aid and commerce, importing capital goods, food, textiles, and oil. Afghanistan imports 14 times more than it exports.

In Afghanistan, the adult literacy rate is only 28 percent. Approximately 2 million primary school-age children do not attend school, 65 percent of them girls. Just 18 percent of boys and 6 percent of girls are attending secondary school. Adding to the country’s woes are concerns over job creation, corruption, infrastructure reconstruction, and health care. Child health is especially at risk. The under-age-5 mortality rate in Afghanistan is 257 deaths per every 1,000 births—currently ranked third worst worldwide.

Back to top

World Vision's history in Afghanistan

World Vision’s earliest involvement in Afghanistan began in 1956 as ministry support. After the fall of the Taliban, an office was officially opened in Kabul in 2001, and relief efforts were operational a year later. The overall goal was to address the needs of children and families affected by droughts and to support the economic and agricultural restoration of sustainable livelihoods.

Cash-for-work programs were implemented to help restore a sense of hope in communities. Beneficiaries earned cash to pay off debts, meet immediate needs, and revitalize the financial standings of families and communities. More than 300 women participated in the programs.

World Vision continued to work in the Ghor Province with communities to improve agriculture production, encourage diversity of crops, and develop income generation and microfinance programs that contributed to the strength of rural economies. Crop production was reinforced through the introduction of drip irrigation and water harvesting techniques. Animal restocking started through a microcredit program.

In the past few years, there has been a disruption in the education system due to a majority of school buildings being in disrepair. In addition, the reappearance of the Taliban has resulted in the exclusion of girls from academic opportunities. Despite this, a real enthusiasm for education remains. To encourage the proliferation of classroom schooling, World Vision is focusing its efforts on the rehabilitation and repair of existing buildings and construction of new ones by partnering with local education authorities. Nine schools have been renovated thus far, and 41 more have been either constructed or improved. Eighty percent of Afghanistan’s teachers have not completed high school, so World Vision has provided training to 3,000 of those teachers in an effort to improve the overall quality of education.

Additionally, instruction and assistance have been provided in the reconstruction of safe wells and latrines and in the provision of agricultural water. Due to the many diseases that are caused by unsafe drinking water, health education has been provided to families and children.

Back to top

World Vision in Afghanistan today

World Vision is committed to partnering with the people of the Afghanistan to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, there are no children registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. World Vision operates seven development projects, three of which are highlighted here:
  • The Midwife Training and Support Program is operational in several different areas of western Afghanistan. Project leaders hope to reduce the high maternal, infant, and child mortality rates by instructing women in providing adequate medical care for pregnant mothers and newborns. World Vision plans to train 24 midwives in the rural districts of the Ghor Province at the Chaghcharan Provincial Hospital. Leaders already have trained 80 midwives at the Institute of Health Sciences facility in the city of Herat. Overall goals of the project are to increase the capacity of local health workers and to provide critical care for mothers and newborns.
  • The grant-funded Food for Education and Children Nutrition Program seeks to increase school attendance through school feeding in a number of districts in western Afghanistan. Project leaders are pursuing three primary objectives: increased enrollment of school-age children in primary schools, improved quality of instruction in primary schools, and an overall improved infrastructure of the educational system in rural communities. World Vision has distributed take-home rations to students, teachers, and school personnel in more than 500 schools. This project also supports classes to promote adult literacy in women and to increase the pool of potential female teachers in conservative regions with low female student attendance.
For more information on World Vision’s efforts in Afghanistan, please contact the United States office.

Back to top

Print Page
E-mail Article
Back to Top

Newsletter Sign-Up

World Vision
Phone: 1-888-511-6548
P.O. Box 9716
Federal,WA 98063-9716
© 2009 World Vision Inc.