Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization (HIHAO), in close partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, has successfully implemented a large-scale emergency and resilience project aimed at improving food security and restoring livelihoods for over 44,500 drought-affected smallholder farmers in Kunduz province.
This initiative responded to the devastating effects of prolonged drought and conflict in the region, which left thousands of families’ food insecure. According to the 2022 Seasonal Food Security Assessment, Kunduz was marking one of the worst food security crises in recent years.
“The goal of the project was to help vulnerable farming communities in Kunduz recover their productivity and become more resilient to future shocks. We provided a wide range of support from wheat cultivation and cash-for-work to orchard establishment, solar dryers, and technical training,” explained the office manager at HIHAO.
The project was implemented across all 10 districts (more than 800 villages), of Kunduz and directly benefited 44,582 households. Key interventions included:
- Wheat cultivation packages provided to 42,673 farmers, coupled with technical training in agro-techniques.
- Cash-for-work (CFW) programs engaged 1,490 landless workers in rehabilitating 15 key irrigation infrastructures.
- 83 households supported with orchard packages and training.
- 50 households introduced to Ferula (Hing) cultivation.
- 75 households equipped with solar dryer units for food preservation.
- 15 Raisin Making Houses constructed, benefitting farmer groups with post-harvest processing.
- 10 community-based early warning systems established and activated.
The scale of agricultural revival is most evident in wheat production. With improved farming techniques and timely seed distribution, targeted farmers produced over 40,000 metric tons of wheat, providing a significant boost to household food availability across the province.
“Based on our post-harvest data, each jerib of irrigated land yielded 700 kg or more. The difference in output was over 20% higher among those who cultivated on time in October-November compared to those who planted in December,” the manager noted.
The project also had a major economic impact. Cash-for-work activities injected $200 per worker over a 40-day period, offering temporary income for unskilled laborers while helping to rehabilitate rangelands and check dams. In total, over 102,840 trenches were dug, supporting rainwater harvesting and rangeland regeneration.
Beyond the numbers, the project emphasized strong community engagement. HIHAO worked closely with over 800 Community Development Councils (CDCs) to form local beneficiary selection and complaint committees. These committees ensured that the most vulnerable families were identified based on transparent criteria.
Encouraged by the positive outcomes, HIHAO has expressed its commitment to scaling up similar initiatives in other vulnerable areas, if additional funding becomes available. The organization continues to advocate for technical and financial support to ensure the sustainability of current results and long-term resilience of farming communities in Kunduz and beyond.
