Afghanistan shelter in crisis
March 31, 2021 | Donor Direct Action
I am writing to ask you to urgently support our partner in Afghanistan, the Humanitarian Assistance For Women and Children of Afghanistan (HAWCA). HAWCA is one of the very few frontline women’s rights organizations in Afghanistan that provides shelter and counseling to women fleeing violence. Unfortunately, a grant funding one of their shelters is ending at the end of this month, today. The shelter currently houses 28 women and 19 children. For just $300 a month, one person can be fully cared for throughout the year. With the increase in violence in Afghanistan, the number of people in need of the shelter is growing just as support for the shelter is ending.
Afghanistan has recently seen a spike in bombings, shootings, and violence as peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government are delayed. With this growing instability, increasing attacks on civilians and the decrease in aid, the foreseeable future of Afghanistan is grim, more so for its women and girls. Just two months ago, two female judges, Zakia and Qadria were killed by gunmen in Kabul. Just yesterday, three female health workers giving polio vaccines to children were killed in Jalalabad.
According to HAWCA’s Executive Director, Shafiqa Noori, “This is an alarming sound which could mean that after the peace talks the situation for women will get worse. The situation in Kabul is getting worse and most of the people working for women and human rights and justice are being threatened by the Taliban and ISIS. It is hard for us to even have our normal visits to the office and so we also have to change our comings and goings timing so that we could protect ourselves from danger.”
Please give whatever you can to help HAWCA continue it's life-saving work for women and girls in Afghanistan.
