Afghan women's humanitarian needs in winter

Since the Taliban recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Afghan women's human rights have been systematically suppressed; they have been completely banned from public life and affairs, work and education, and they have been limited from freedom of movement. In September 2021, Taliban ministries issued mandates for women and girls to remain at home. Many women have not been allowed to return to their workplace, and have since then lost their jobs and their incomes, severly affecting their economic wellbeing and plunging women and women-led households into poverty.

With the rise of the Taliban, the International Community has withdrawn all humananitarian aid, and exposed already vulnerable groups to even more adversities. According to several reports published by aid agencies, women in Afghanistan do not have access to humanitarian aids. This is due to the Taliban's policy in forbidding women from leaving home without a male accompany as well as male dominance over the aid distribution communities. Women and girls are living on the brink, and face an uncertain and critical challenge; the winter.

I am Julia López Montesinos, a Mexican IR student trying to raise funds for the Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO). SRMO is an Afghan non-governmental organization that empowers, supports and protects Afghan civil society, NGOs and human rights defenders in Afghanistan. I am an intern for the organization, and with winter around the corner, we are trying to provide at least 100 women or families with the winter package, which includes heating materials, winter clothing, 50 kg of flour, 5 kg of cooking oil, rice, beans, sugar, tea and a hygiene kit. Each winter package costs around 200 - 250 USD. If we can raise USD 100,000 we will be able to help 400-500 families. If we can raise USD 200,000 (180,000 GBP), we'll still be able to help 1000 families.

SRMO has office in Afghanistan. The fund will be transferred from the UK to Afghanistan where an oversight committee of at least seven women rights activists will be formed to oversee the distribution of the funds to the women. For security reasons we cannot put their names to the public domain as many of these women are professional and educated women who lost their jobs and sources of income since Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The recipients of the humanitarian support are identified by other women rights organizations inside Afghanistan. In close collaboration with the oversight committee, the recipients will receive the package.

The fund will be transferred to SRMO's office in Afghanistan and the members of the oversight committee will arrange for the purchase of the winter packages, which will be distributed in three locations under strict oversight of the members of the committee.

With Winter around the corner, can we help them to survive?

For more information: https://srmo.org/