Amid global inaction, floods and hunger are ravaging Afghanistan

"We lost everything in the floods," 11-year old Hajera told UNICEF after surviving extreme conditions in northern Afghanistan earlier this month. "Our house was destroyed, even the health centre was damaged. That is why I have to get treatment here at my neighbour’s house."

Hajera is among thousands of people who are surviving on the ground in Afghanistan, where the dire humanitarian crisis is only getting worse.

In recent weeks, heavy floods in the country's northeastern and northwestern provinces killed hundreds of people, heightened food insecurity, and adversely affected more than 80,000 citizens across the nation.

Torrential rains and worsening hunger are the latest signs of Afghanistan's escalating climate crisis. According to the World Food Program (WFP), climatic changes have prompted an "erratic weather pattern" that will contribute to more devastating floods in the coming months.

"The people of Afghanistan continue to fight and push for what they believe in. The world cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan at this point," Edem Wosornu of the UN humanitarian affairs office said this week.

Afghanistan cannot address flood-induced suffering on its own. Its economy was left isolated on the world stage after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. The move prompted foreign governments to drive down development funding and avoid any recognition of the Taliban government.

But differing perspectives on the Taliban shouldn't negatively affect humanitarian support for flood-hit Afghans. There is a glaring possibility that more Afghans could slide into poverty and mass employment if financial access and mobilisation barriers persist.

All this makes clear that Afghanistan, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, shouldn't be treated as a pariah in international climate talks. Continuous engagement on natural disasters and recovery must continue to the benefit of millions, regardless of who assumes power in Kabul.

Given the gravity of the situation, the international community should muster a robust response to climate-induced suffering in Afghanistan. This includes increased economic support for millions reliant on humanitarian aid, as well as long-term assistance to support emergency response capabilities in the face of extreme weather events.

Underwhelming aid

This puts the onus on the international community to support economic assistance as a long-term imperative. The European Union has committed a mere €400,000 ($434,384) in immediate emergency assistance, while the United States pledged to support post-floods "recovery efforts" by engaging with partner organisations on the ground.

This level of economic assistance is underwhelming and at odds with the needs on ground. For instance, the UN needs millions of dollars in nutritional assistance for Afghans, and requires a concrete commitment to fund resilience-building projects in high-risk communities.

This is important because key donors such as the European Union insist on a multi-sectoral response strategy, but have fallen short of uninterrupted economic assistance to inform post-floods gains.

This calls for an enduring focus on climate-adaptive infrastructure, such as dams and irrigation canals. Promotion of water management and early warning systems in Afghanistan is also key to preventing further loss of resource-rich agricultural land, a key source of income.

But many Western states are reluctant to prioritise these long term pathways to climate resilience in Afghanistan.

There is a widening discord between the emergency response priorities of international development organisations in Afghanistan, and those of Western governments. Much of the blame falls on Western governments for hampering life-saving UN aid in Afghanistan, given that donors met only 6 percent of the humanitarian funding appeal for this year.

Business as usual must change. Dwindling international assistance risks aggravating the suffering of pregnant women and underage children in the coming months, making them more reliant on life-saving nutritional support. Western governments that are vocal on human rights in Afghanistan have a point to prove for their own credibility: end selective support for climate priorities that concern the lives, liberties and survival of millions.

Running out of time

Afghanistan is at a loss for time. The country was promised millions of dollars in climate funds for donor projects, including through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). But none of those initiatives have come through in recent years, while decades of war and military intervention have intensified humanitarian suffering.

But barriers to humanitarian assistance continue to hit Afghan people the hardest. Washington shows no signs of releasing Afghanistan's central bank funds, and has backed sanctions against the Taliban. In effect, these steps have discouraged foreign donors from coordinating life-saving humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, and dampen chances of a future turnaround.

Similarly, an incapacitated Afghan banking system risks severely compounding UN emergency relief efforts hereon.

The WFP is keen to secure $670 million to help tide Afghanistan over until June, by extending crucial food assistance to about 16 million Afghans. But in the presence of financial barriers and limited international will, it faces an uphill task delivering on post-floods coordination.

With more intense weather events on the horizon, countries would be well-advised to set aside political reservations and approach climate change as a global challenge.

Thousands of houses and businesses have been destroyed in flash floods, and there is a dire need to prevent more population segments from identifying as acutely food insecure.

Afghanistan also needs to make ground on early warning systems to support predictability of extreme weather events. Doing so requires consistent, unrestricted technical expertise from international partners to fill capacity gaps and generate "know-how."

In sum, there is a pressing need to prioritise Afghanistan's crisis response and help mitigate the damage from escalating floods.

Adverse climate exposure represents an enduring challenge for the conflict-hit country. Its people cannot weather this storm without sustained international support.