KABUL (Agencies): In response to COVID-19, the UN and humanitarian partners have delivered water, sanitation and hygiene kits and tailored hygiene promotion activities to more than 100,000 people in Afghanistan.
They have also reached nearly 84,000 people with awareness-raising materials and have supported more than 29,000 women and children with psychosocial support services to cope with the emotional consequences of the virus.
Humanitarians continue to monitor the secondary impacts of extended lockdowns on vulnerable households and warn these may exacerbate existing needs and push households to adopt negative coping strategies.
Alongside the COVID-19 response, the UN and humanitarian partners continue to respond to conflict- and natural-disaster emergencies, which continue to displace thousands of families. These pre-existing vulnerabilities make Afghans potentially more susceptible to exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.
So far, nearly 2,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Afghanistan, including 61 deaths. A COVID-19 Humanitarian Plan for Afghanistan is seeking US$108 million to reach more than 6 million people with life-saving assistance over the next three months. The plan is being revised and integrated with the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan, which requires $733 million, to help 9.4 million people in need.
