DACAAR, is proud to announce the commencement of a significant 12-month project, which started in 2023, titled "Humanitarian WASH Response to Newly Accessible, Under Served Communities in Afghanistan." The project has been generously funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).

Aligned with the Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) 2023 priorities, DACAAR's project is dedicated to addressing the immediate and prolonged Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) needs of populations in previously hard-to-reach districts while offering rapid Emergency WASH assistance during sudden onset crises, be it natural-induced hazards, epidemics, or man-made emergencies. Recognizing the adverse impact of unmet needs leading to recurrent shocks among underserved communities, the approved project exhibits sufficient flexibility to strengthen early response capacity while simultaneously addressing the long-standing challenges that perpetuate suffering in these districts.

“DACAAR is extremely happy to be given this opportunity to carry on this now very long partnership with ECHO, more than ever the Afghan people needs our support and thank you to ECHO for showing their commitment. Our DACAAR ECHO team is now very experienced and already helping and supporting where needed.” says DACAAR’s Country Director John Morse

The project aims to reach out to an estimated 47,208 families, comprising approximately 329,656 individuals, with a special focus on women constituting 50% of the beneficiaries and 3% being persons with disabilities. The targeted provinces include Kabul, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Balkh, Herat, Badghis, Paktia, Khost, Paktika, Nangarhar, and Kunar. To ensure the effectiveness of the response, DACAAR will undertake a range of lifesaving and resilience-building activities.

These activities encompass: Provision of safe drinking water through water trucks, Chlorination of water points and sources, Installation of Emergency Baths, and Latrines (EBL) units, Rehabilitation of Non –functional water points/Systems and construction of new wells and new water supply networks, Distribution of commode Chairs for the disabled people, installation of Bio Sand Filter (BSF) and Hygiene promotion alongside the distribution of hygiene kits.

In accordance with our commitment to protecting vulnerable communities, the project will also integrate Protection and Accountability to Affected People (AAP) principles into its activities. This holistic approach aims to safeguard the well-being of women, children, and other at-risk individuals during the project.

Additionally, DACAAR recognizes the importance of enhancing country-level inter-cluster coordination. As part of the initiative, the project will provide support to and build the capacity of the WASH cluster, including bolstering sub-national cluster infrastructure.

DACAAR activates crisis modifiers to respond to rapid-onset crises (crisis within crisis) to save lives within a reasonable amount of time. Immediately after receiving crisis notification within the first 72 hours, deploying teams to the area to conduct an assessment and response.

For more information about ECHO and its tireless efforts in funding humanitarian aid, please visit their website at http://ec.europa.eu/echo/.

About DACAAR: DACAAR (Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees) is a non-governmental organization working tirelessly to provide life-saving assistance and support to vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. With a strong focus on WASH initiatives, DACAAR strives to improve living conditions and foster resilience among those affected by conflict, natural disaster, epidemic situation of diseases outbreak.