A Charity Navigator four-star-rated nonprofit committed to creating a just and equitable society, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) provides critical disaster response and sustainable development aid in the US and worldwide.
According to its 2022 Annual Report [PDF], IRUSA invested more than $100 million in domestic and international aid and supported more than 6.5 million people in 42 countries, including Afghanistan. The people of this Central Asian country have lived through four decades of political turmoil, conflict, and environmental disasters.
Recognizing its intense need, IRUSA has been providing Afghan families and communities with humanitarian relief since the 1990s. Below is a closer look at the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and what IRUSA is doing to help.
Afghanistan’s Longstanding Crisis
Afghanistan has been rocked by periods of war and conflict since the Soviet invasion in 1979. Drought, conflict, and political instability have created an economic and humanitarian crisis in the country, leaving around 24 million Afghans in need of aid. More than 6 million Afghans, 80% of whom are women and children, have been displaced from their homes as a result, while 97% of the population was living in poverty as of August 2021.
Afghan women and young girls also contend with severe violations of their fundamental human rights—UN experts describe the situation as “gender apartheid.” Women are forbidden from attending secondary schools and college, traveling in public without an appropriate male relative, and working for international NGOs, among other limitations and restrictions. Even beauty salons, a source of employment for many women, have been shuttered. Afghan women who protest these injustices or step out of line may be arbitrarily detained, tortured, or even abducted from their homes in forced disappearances.
If these conditions weren’t bad enough, four major earthquakes, with magnitudes ranging from 4.7 to 6.3, hit the Herat region in late 2023, killing more than 2,000 people and destroying over 3,000 homes. Less than a year later, in May 2024, came the floods. Buildings, homes, bridges, roads, and cropland were swept away after days of torrential rain in Baghlan, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces. Hundreds of people were killed and injured.
IRUSA’s Impact in Afghanistan
IRUSA’s first intervention in Afghanistan was in 1997, when it began donating Qurbani meat to help alleviate hunger. Since then, it has launched and grown orphan and refugee support programs in Afghanistan and provided people with basic needs, including clean water and sanitation, food aid, healthcare, and disaster relief. IRUSA has also helped facilitate access to education for women and young girls as well as boys, and has provided job skill training for women-led households. During the winter, the organization has focused on providing warm clothing, bedding, and other seasonal necessities to help families survive the cold.
Delivering Disaster Relief After Quakes and Floods
The 2023 Herat earthquakes devastated western Afghanistan, and IRUSA responded with the urgency the situation demanded. It quickly began working with local organizations to give out cash assistance to help families purchase food and basic necessities. It also distributed hygiene kits and provided help with temporary shelter and rental assistance. To support long-term recovery, IRUSA assisted with constructing shelters and latrines and repairing water infrastructure. Community self-help groups were formed and skill-based training was provided to help people find jobs as well.
In response to the spring 2024 floods in northeastern Afghanistan, IRUSA launched an emergency appeal to fund a rapid emergency response. Local teams deployed to Baghlan, in the heart of the flooded area, to assess the extent of the damage, determine the most urgent needs, and coordinate with other NGOs and first responders. People in the flood-affected areas with the greatest need have received multi-purpose cash assistance.
Supporting Afghans in the US
IRUSA’s support for Afghanistan also extends to Afghans who have immigrated to the US seeking refuge and a better life. When the US withdrew its military forces from Afghanistan from February 2020 to August 2021, tens of thousands of at-risk or US-affiliated Afghans were granted entry into the US via humanitarian parole. This is a temporary protection, not a precursor to permanent protection, like refugee programs or immigrant visas. As a result, Afghans in the US with humanitarian parole face uncertainties as to their legal status in the country, especially those who may have been forced to cooperate with Taliban members or were subject to shakedowns at Taliban checkpoints in the Kabul evacuation.
IRUSA believes that Afghan refugees who underwent these life-threatening experiences should have the same legal protections as refugees admitted into the country via the US resettlement program. It is advocating for the Afghan Adjustment Act, which was introduced in the Senate in July 2023 and would provide permanent resident status to these refugees. Otherwise, Afghan refugees might have to wait many years to secure legal protections, as there are more than 1.4 million pending immigration cases in the US courts and 400,000 of those are for affirmative asylum.
Beyond this advocacy work, IRUSA has been helping newly arrived Afghans get settled into their new homes in the US. Together with its partners, IRUSA has provided orientations, transportation from airports, and interpreters. It has also extended cash, legal, and rental assistance; provided clothes, food, and hygiene kids; connected people to mental health support; and offered medical case management. All this support is crucial in helping people feel safe and welcomed as they navigate life in a new country.
Providing Care for Orphans
Finally, supporting orphaned children has been a vital part of IRUSA’s agenda since its inception. In 2022, the organization provided relief to 2,420 orphans in Afghanistan. These children (as well as their siblings and guardians) receive food, healthcare, shelter, and more, thanks to the generous donations of IRUSA supporters.
Steadfast Support in the Face of Many Challenges
Afghanistan faces daunting challenges: poverty, gender inequality, conflict, human rights violations, and even more frequent, severe natural disasters as climate change worsens. However, IRUSA is undeterred—it will continue its lifesaving work in Afghanistan, delivering both immediate aid during crises and long-term development assistance. Learn how you can support these efforts at https://irusa.org/asia/afghanistan/.