AFGHANISTAN AND COVID-19

Challenges, Opportunities, and Way forward

Afghanistan
 Table of Content
1. Introduction
2. Research Methodology
3. Challenges for the Governmnt
4. Response to Pandemic
5. Fragile Health Care System
6. Beyond the health crisis: Economic and social implications of COVID-19
I. Covid-19 and Human security
II. Covid-19 and Economy
III. Looking for Economic reslience
7. Towards New Normal
I. Changing Personal lives
II. The importance of Big Data
III. Digital transformation
IV. Online shopping
V. Online Food Delivery
VI. Work from home
VII. The future of work after Covid-19
VIII. Develop inclusive economy
IX. Social safety protection
X. International response
XI. Climate revolution
XII. Women’s role during pandemic
XIII. Gender based violence
XIV. Mental Stress
XV. Building Back better
8. Coronavirus and Education: Response, Challenges, and the threats of
educational divide
I. Distance Learning
II. Learning at School
9. Conclusion
10.Way Forward
INTRODUCTION
While a global pandemic has been a looming risk for decades, COVID-19 has come as a
shock to society, health systems, economies, and governments worldwide. Leaders are under
pressure to handle the pandemic's immediate effect and repercussions in the face of enormous
obstacles and uncertainty, as well as innumerable personal tragedies. These actions will have
a long-term impact on the state of the world. What are the bright spots in the crisis, and how
can businesses and state leaders use this opportunity to create a more affluent, fair, and
sustainable world? The COVID-19 epidemic has disturbed life across Asia for last two
consecutive years and continue to be more challenging, and it will change the social,
economic, and political landscape over the next decade. The virus's difficulties go beyond
people's immediate physical health, threatening their economic survival, educational
prospects, and capacity to satisfy their basic needs and those of their families. To cope with
and reduce the overwhelming number of simultaneous crises, local communities,
governments, and international players have adopted various methods. These initiatives may
have long-term consequences for international, state–society, intercommunal, and personal
interactions, even after the pandemic.
Afghanistan is no exception, as governmental capability and community cohesiveness are
required to preserve any potential gains from the Afghan peace process. Has COVID-19
harmed Afghan society's ability to achieve peace and reconciliation? The US forces
withdrawal and peace deal with Afghan government by Taliban have raised the alarms for the
country. Taliban are gaining influence and taking over the country after the US forces
withdrawal. The pandemic's regional and global consequences have compounded
Afghanistan's situation. COVID-19 has caused turmoil across Afghanistan and continues to
be a major stress test for the country's already shaky institutions. At the same time, it has
substantially raised economic and social constraints on disadvantaged and vulnerable
populations such as refugees, remittance-dependent families, internally displaced individuals,
and prisoners. Poverty and unemployment, as well as gender-based violence and
discrimination, have all grown in recent months. Afghan goals for economic self-sufficiency
have been hampered by travel restrictions, border closures, and a sharp drop in job
possibilities for Afghans overseas. Furthermore, financial crises in donor nations are likely to
hasten the international civilian and military players' continuing withdrawal dynamics and
increase pre-existing donor weariness. Will Afghanistan be left out in the cold after COVID-
19? The Afghan government and people will have to find ways and change their habits to
navigate from the crisis and continue life afterword. This can only be possible when all the
stakeholder work together for the sustainable development and adapt the changes brought up
by the pandemic.

Research Methodology
This research paper is designed to evaluate and understand the broader changes brought by
the pandemic both socially and economically. The paper employs different ways and
approaches to achieve the intended outcome. Based on the literature review and evaluation
of previous studies, the proposal's suitable methodology was developed. The research
methodology adopted for this research paper employs both methods of data collection-
primary and secondary data collection source. The primary data collection involves directly
from main sources through interviews, surveys, experiments. While the Common sources of
secondary data for research include censuses, information collected by government
departments, organizational records and data that was originally collected for other research
purposes. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of societal shift initiated by the
pandemic through the one-one interview with experts and professionals in the field. It
objectively analyzes the current condition with quantitative data. The information presented
in current study are collected from various authentic websites as it is risky to go out for data
collection due to pandemic Covid-19. We employed session and interviews with experts to
take their point of view on the current situation of the pandemic and the shifts employed the
covid 19.

Gaps in Research Study

The pandemic has affected the lives of people all over the world in a significant way that
were never imagined before. A lot has been written and studied but we are still far from
understanding the true impact of virus on the lives and businesses around the world. The
scientific community must step and take practical action to reach deep of the crisis. There are
significant gaps in the study of shift taking place. There is lack of authentic data on the
viruses. We can get a lot of misinformation spreading on the social media that can mislead
and lead to potential problem in the research. In the country like Afghanistan, the challenges
are multiplied in term of data collection and the misinformation. There are no authentic and
reliable ways of collecting data and deriving research. The majority of people working in the
informal economy that strive make both end meet, the effects are dramatic on the people.

Challenges for the Government

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic
In reaction to the outbreak, the Afghan government shuttered all schools and colleges,
prohibited religious and customary public gatherings, closed most businesses, and enforced
travel restrictions. However, all these efforts have proven unsuccessful since more than 55
percent of the population lives in poverty, 66 percent of the population works in informal
jobs. It must continue to work in the absence of a social safety system because they rely on
daily income.
Nonetheless, the
economic toll has
taken precedence,
wreaking havoc on
low-wage employees
and jeopardizing
food security. Some
food has been
provided to low-
income families but
determining who is
eligible for this
assistance has
caused social conflict, and delivery has harmed preventative efforts such as social distance.
Furthermore, maintaining the lockdown will exacerbate hunger, poverty, and malnutrition,
potentially leading to higher long-term mortality than the virus itself. The lockdown also
limited access to critical health services, leading to a rise in long-term mortality from
illnesses like measles, diarrhea, and other prevalent infectious and non-communicable
diseases.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs also campaigned for social distance during prayers rather
than forcing the closing of houses of worship; thus, mosques remained open during Ramadan
that caused devastation across the country. Furthermore, a rising number of religious clergies
are pushing for scepticisms of major COVID-19 health recommendations. The western
province of Herat, which has the second-highest number of recorded cases, has seen a rise in
this community. Due to missing or inaccurate data on registration forms and follow-ups,
contact tracing has also been ineffective.

Fragile Health care system

The introduction of COVID-19 threatens Afghanistan's healthcare system, which has already
been weakened by four decades of conflict. Given Afghanistan's unique vulnerabilities, such
as porous borders, frequent cross-border movements, a weak health system, a high
malnutrition rate, limited water and sanitation facilities, inequality in access to healthcare
services, gender-based violence, restricted movement of women, and an increased number of
infected people, the virus's transmission should have been consistently high. Afghanistan's
fragile health system continues to face many challenges. The protracted conflict in the
country has affected the delivery of health care services. Health workers have frequently been
targeted, and their activities have been discouraged. Despite devising all efforts and
strategies, Afghanistan is not entirely successful in tackling the virus. Surveillance and risk
communication teams are posted at each crossing point on the borders, especially those
bordering Pakistan and Iran. However, there are certain contextual difficulties with
surveillance deployment. Due to poor community knowledge of the pandemic and parts of
society have better access to testing, community perception of a top-down COVID-19
response has been difficult.

Another challenge that threatens the healthcare system of Afghanistan in its response to
COVID-19 is the shortage of healthcare workers. There are only 9.4 skilled health workers
(nurses, midwives, and paramedics) and 1.9 physicians per 10 000 population. According to
the World Health Organization Global Health Workforce Alliance, 23 skilled health workers
per 10, 000 people are
required to carry out all
critical health functions.
This challenge is
increased by the lack of
personal protective
equipment and a low level
of security in the remote
areas of Afghanistan. This
has a significant,
immediate, and adverse
impact on the delivery and
availability of healthcare
facilities to both the
general population and
healthcare workers. Lack
of oxygen and its balloons was and still is a big obstacle for the government, and for the
private sector to overcome. So, national investors and the international community paid close
and serious attention regarding this issue, also making it a big opportunity for the black
market over the country. The effects and reactions that are set to be taken is long term if not
permanent.
 Beyond the health crisis: Economic and social
implications of COVID-19
The epidemic has severe ramifications for human security, economic growth, and social
cohesion. As the virus's effects spread, they continue to amplify and worsen pre-existing
structural disparities and vulnerabilities among different sectors of the population. The
epidemic has damaged civil society, which is undoubtedly a critical player in strengthening
solidarity, reducing inequalities, and supporting good governance. New restrictions on travel
imposed by the virus have had a negative influence on the delivery of humanitarian and
development initiatives, on which a large portion of the population relies. Interventions and
monitoring visits have frequently had to be rescheduled, especially in distant regions.
To prevent the spread of the virus and allow local medical care systems to better react to the
crisis, quarantine measures were essential. Aghan government responses were not unusual,
but they were noteworthy considering the time and resources available to battle the epidemic.
For the most part, government could assist local companies and "keep the lights on" for
enterprises and branches of their economy using fiscal rather than monetary means.
While the health crisis revealed the weak points of the health care systems, the economic
crisis highlighted problems in the national economies and social care. Unavailability of
savings, employment in the informal sectors of the economy, and weak or absent social
security nets for a large share of the population are but a few problems that became evident
due to the crisis.

COVID-19 and Human Security

Prior to the pandemic, Afghanistan already displayed alarming rates of poverty and food
insecurity. In 2016, an estimated 55 percent of the population lived below the poverty line,
and nearly 45 percent were considered food insecure. Current projections estimate the
economy's deterioration will result in an increase of up to 72 percent in poverty rates in 2020,
with direct effects on access to amenities and services, including food, shelter, health care,
and education. The growth in poverty rates and lack of alternative sources of income is
likely to increase the number of households that rely on unprotected, unskilled, low-wage
sources of income—all subject to high seasonal variations. The insecurity and uncertainty
that go hand in hand with informality and underemployment have drastic effects on the well-
being of households due to income insecurity and thus unpredictability in their ability to
purchase food. These conditions constrain longer-term decisions on proactive health care and
education.
In rural areas where the drought of 2018–2019 had devastating effects on access to
livelihoods, the effects of the economic crisis generated by the pandemic are likely to deplete
people's ability to cope seriously. The people most vulnerable to the virus (older persons and
chronically ill persons) and dependents (children and people with disabilities) are also highly
vulnerable to any deterioration of existing coping mechanisms—rising prices of essential
items compound loss of income. In the first half of 2020, disruptions in regional trade led to
food shortages and inflation in the prices of staple food commodities, such as flour, wheat,
rice, sugar, pulses, and cooking oil. Food insecurity is expected to reach emergency levels in
2021. The pandemic also affects children, with repercussions in malnutrition, heightened risk
of neglect, exploitation, violence, and abuse. Child labor, already used as a coping
mechanism by many vulnerable households, is at risk of increasing.

COVID-19 and the economy

Productive economic activity can help to enhance the possibility for peace and prevent
conflict from reoccurring. COVID-19 has demonstrated economic repercussions like those
that occur during a conflict, such as the loss of livelihoods, jobs, and income sources;
inflation in the price of essential goods; lower domestic revenue; and higher levels of reliance
on international assistance. COVID-19's consequences for an already weak economy, along
with ongoing war, political instability, and development problems, heighten vulnerabilities
and raise the danger of reversing recent gains.
Afghanistan's economy experienced unprecedented disruption in 2020 due to the COVID-19
pandemic, political instability, and continued violence, which cut remittances, trade, and
revenue. In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, ADB forecasts Afghanistan's gross
domestic product (GDP) growth to rebound to 3.0% in 2021, rising to 4.0% in 2022 as
business activity and market sentiment normalize. GDP contracted by an estimated 5.0% in
2020 as COVID-19 containment measures exacerbated the economic impact of persistent
violence and political instability.

Looking for economic resilience

The multifaceted economic impact of COVID-19 will necessitate adjustments in the short
term to address emergencies such as medical treatment, in the medium term to compensate
for the loss of income of many borderline low-income families who are unable to work, and
in the long term to strengthen the resilience of productive economic structures. As part of
efforts to meet medium- and long-term requirements, it would be essential to identify and
strengthen lawful and productive economic activity sources. For many Afghan families,
micro, and small-scale businesses in geographically discernible clusters inside most
population centers constitute a significant type of legitimate, sustainable, and productive
economic activity. COVID-19, on the other hand, has had a profound impact on clustering
businesses. The Federation of Afghan Craftsmen and Traders, the leading group for micro
and small businesses, has called on the government to assist individuals impacted by the
epidemic by providing interest-free loans and financial assistance to those driven out of the
market.
Some countries have offered financial support to small companies to help minimize the initial
impact of COVID-19 on economic activity. If comparable measures are used in Afghanistan,
micro and small enterprises should be a major recipient of such assistance. Interventions
along these lines will necessitate extensive coordination and dialogue among formal state
structures, representative organizations and networks of workers and enterprises, and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) that support micro, small, and medium-sized businesses,
and informal workers. Interventions should increase productive economic activity rather than
unproductive or harmful economic activity in the long run. This is arguably the most difficult
since it must address systemic flaws that the epidemic has already exacerbated.

Towards New Normal

A global, novel virus that keeps us contained in our homes—may be for months—is already
reorienting our relationship to government, to the outside world, even to each other. Some of
the changes predicted by these experts in the next months or years may be new or unsettling:
Will countries remain closed? Will touching become a forbidden subject? What is going to
happen to restaurants? On the other hand, crisis periods provide opportunities for more
sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less divisiveness, and a renewed appreciation
for the outdoors and other basic joys of life. Nobody knows what will happen, but here's our
best guess at how society—government, healthcare, the economy, our lives, and more—will
evolve in the future and how the developing countries like Afghanistan will respond to
changing dynamic of the worlds and what are immediate shift occurring in the lives of the
people of country.
Afghanistan, the country engulfed in war for decades, also adopted new measures to tackle
the virus and adapt to the new normal. It was challenging for the developing countries to
cope with the challenges posed by the pandemic. But with the help of the right policies and
guidance from the expert, we have successfully navigated the crisis. The Afghan government
and people adopted numerous measures to reduce the impact of the virus and protect the
vulnerable segment of society. We can't meet the financial challenges, but many international
donors support the governments during times of crisis. The people's trust and lifestyle are
changing and adapting to the new normal in the post-covid world. The experts have warned
that the pandemic's changes will likely stay for time to come.

Changing Personal Lives

Our personal lives are evolving. The imposition of lockdown was undoubtedly a shock to the
system for all of us, whether it made us feel lonely, listless, worried, or distracted by the
family. Individually, we've had to make both significant and little changes to our daily lives.
However, despite our physical separation, the internet and social media have enabled us to
reach inside each other's homes. Many people's social ties appear to be unaffected. They've
also allowed us to pursue hobbies and interests we may not have otherwise pursued, such as
people using social media to solve real-life mysteries from the comfort of their own homes.
The crisis presented the people and government of Afghanistan to work for the brighter
future that the world is building. The country is far behind the other countries in terms of
national development and innovation. The crisis can be a catalyst for change and revive our
priorities to work for a better and sustainable country.

The importance of BIG DATA

Big data offers scientists, health professionals, and epidemiologists a vast quantity of
information, allowing them to make informed decisions in the fight against the COVID-19
virus. These data may constantly track the virus on a worldwide scale and spur medical
innovation. It can assist in predicting the impact of COVID-19 on a specific location and the
entire population. It aids in the creation and study of novel therapeutic procedures. Big data
may also present people with potential sources and possibilities, assisting them in dealing
with difficult situations.

Afghanistan does not have the capacity to gather data about the people to make the informed
decision during the crisis. The more data we have, the better we can decide for ourselves. The
lack of data collection presents severe challenges for the country to devise the coping
mechanism during the crisis. Traditional data gathering methods that necessitate field trips
might be dangerous during these periods. In this environment, big data is more important and
helpful than ever before if proper privacy and ethical protections are in place. Cell phone
information, for example, may be used to get Global Positioning System coordinates that can
be used to monitor people's travels. Using this data to identify hotspots and stop the spread of
the virus during a pandemic has enormous promise. Sentiment analysis based on social media
data, for example, may give helpful insights to aid in the development of suitable health
messaging for the public. The pandemic necessitates the importance of data to make a
rational decision to take appropriate action. We need to step up the efforts to improve the
mechanism of data collection system digitally.
Digital Transformation
Every activity and function that could be moved online resulted in a widespread digital
migration. Companies sent their staff home and stopped sending them on business trips, and
many now plan to use a combination of remote work and virtual meetings. The business in
Afghanistan started to implement these new measures for the first time. Consumers used the
internet to fulfill various requirements, including grocery shopping, school registration and
exercise, and doctor visits. Businesses used digital technologies in novel ways as well. Auto
businesses, for example, employed email, text messaging, Zoom, and Facetime to sell
automobiles without ever seeing the consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating
global digital transformation and the adoption of digital technologies. It is also enacting a
political and cultural shift toward a quantified society: a society in which measurement and
predictive modelling dominate (political) decision making and where surveillance is
expansive and pervasive.
We have witnessed above those stresses the importance of digital transformation of business
and companies to compete in the nation's league; otherwise, the businesses will be forced to
extinction. We need to accelerate the trend toward digital transformation to compete with the
world. The Covid-19 forced the country to shift to the facilities that were never in practice
among the people.

Online Shopping in Afghanistan

The epidemic of Covid-19 cleared the door for online businesses, particularly online
shopping. Even though bazaars were closed, internet shopping companies provided their
clients' high-quality items for a little delivery cost. In this example, Covid-19 introduced
people to the world of shopping and shopping methods (although western countries are
already experts at online services and shopping).
As the government placed restrictions on the movement to stop the spread of viruses, the
people in Afghanistan shifted online shopping and other necessary purchases. The culture of
online shopping is very rare in the country, and people prefer to buy essential items from the
shops physically. Business deals are still taking place in its extreme orthodox methods. But
strict lockdown and restriction forced people to adapt to new normal and use online
shopping. The sale of online retailers boomed during this time, and it forced many businesses
to shift online.

Online Food Delivery

The restaurants and hotels become a hotspot for the spread of the virus that forced the
government to shut down them. The restrictions were placed on dining in restaurants and
hotels. However, they were allowed to use the online delivery option for their businesses.
Many people forced into their homes made use of this service and ordered their food at home.
This was happening for the time in the country that has been torn apart by the conflict for
decades. The existing infrastructure presented many challenges for the people during the
lockdown. But over time, online food delivery improved, and people took great advantage
out of this service. Fast-food chains established "ghost" kitchens dedicated only to fulfilling
internet delivery requests. I believe that the government will pay more attention to coding
and mapping cities due to online services and commerce. This is a massive opportunity for
investors, and it will result in long-term improvements in our community.
Work From Home
The pandemic accelerated the trend toward work from home as a measure to stop the spread
of the virus. The government of Afghanistan mandated the business to reduce the office
presence to stem the spread of the virus. Kabul is the top region by government employees in
Afghanistan. The government employees in Kabul were 91,009 that accounts for 27.31% of
Afghanistan's government employees. The top 5 regions (others are Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar,
and Badakhshan) account for 49.35% of it. Afghanistan's total government employees was
estimated at 333,260. The government asked the employee to work from home without
having access to internet and safe place to work in home. The country was faced with such an
incident for the first time, which caused many difficulties for the businesses and people. The
existing infrastructure couldn't support continuing to work from home. The power shortage
and unstable internet connection make it difficult for the employee to work productively from
home. This is mainly an issue with the developing countries because of their fragile
infrastructure and lack of basic facilities. The current pandemic has forced the Afghan
government to prioritize its budget toward building a stable infrastructure for sustainable
growth.

The future of work after COVID-19

The pandemic accelerated the existing trend in remote work, e-commerce, and automation,
with up to majority workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch
occupations. Remote work and virtual meetings have become common in businesses. The
COVID-19 pandemic disrupted labor markets globally during 2020. The short-term
consequences were sudden and often severe: Millions of people were furloughed or lost jobs,
and others rapidly adjusted to working from home as offices closed. Many other workers
were deemed essential and continued to work in hospitals and grocery stores, on garbage
trucks, and in warehouses, yet under new protocols to reduce the spread of the novel
coronavirus. Perhaps the most obvious impact of COVID-19 on the labor force is the
dramatic increase in employees working remotely.
For the first time, the government had to force people to work remotely to avoid the spread of
the virus. The new shift was very challenging for the people and the businesses as they
couldn't cope with the new realities of the working environment. But the people and the
businesses managed to navigate the situation and continue to work remotely.

Develop Inclusive Economy

A truly inclusive economy is crucial to growth. But how can countries and businesses, and
organizations step up? The countries and businesses need to adopt these crucial factors. They
must educate and upskill the workforce so that they can compete with changing need of our
time. Promoting diversity and inclusion and focusing on mental wellness of the people. The
government and private sector will have to work along this line to protect the people and
businesses from future crises. The digital landscape is changing very rapidly, and failure to
adapt to these challenges will lead to the destruction of the life of people and the collapse of
the business.
From investing in human capital to enabling a surge of entrepreneurship to spread technology
to businesses of all kinds, the action we take now has the potential to generate a virtuous
cycle of employment creation, growing consumption, and increased productivity. The crisis
for the developing countries is more profound. Afghanistan will have to adapt to the
changing dynamics of the world after the crisis. Failure to transform to the new normal will
risk falling behind in the league of the nation. This crisis offers an opportunity for the country
to assess and adapt to changing needs of the 21 st century and build a sustainable and inclusive
economy.

Social Safety Protection

The pandemic has presented the country’s social protection systems with a never-before-seen
challenge. Before COVID-19, a large section of Afghanistan's population lacked access to
social protection. Only formal workers in the public sector were covered by social insurance.
As a result, like neighboring countries, we faced the added problem of reaching out to the
underprivileged. To minimize the impact of the crisis on livelihoods and encourage social
distance, the Afghan government has undertaken various monetary and fiscal measures. The
former includes Da Afghanistan Bank delaying administrative fines and fees, temporarily
halting credit classifications, and price stability and exchange rate volatility measures. Tax
cuts, extensions of tax filing deadlines, and the allocation of 1.4 percent of GDP to the
COVID-19 reaction were among the fiscal measures. Additionally, the World Bank plans to
support the government's relief efforts through the REACH program, aiming to provide in-
kind and cash transfers to around 2.7 million households. The government took these
unprecedented measures for the time in history to protect the most vulnerable and
disadvantaged people from the effects of the virus.

International response
In the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, the international community stepped in to provide
additional support to Afghanistan. They are reprioritizing the allocation of funds that remain
to be disbursed until the end of 2021 to meet immediate needs stemming from the pandemic.
The World Bank has increased levels of humanitarian assistance to respond to the immediate
impacts of COVID-19. Support for COVID-19 response and recovery through the
Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and multilateral entities, including the United
Nations and the World Bank
It is unreasonable to believe that Afghanistan would solve many humanitarian and
development issues without long-term external support. Civil society groups that offer
services to the most disadvantaged or have mandates for building civic space and serving as
watchdogs of government activity will require continued funding for the government to
function (despite substantial worries about administrative corruption).

Climate Revolution
Climate change discussions have become more severe in recent years as governments and
organizations have developed a better knowledge of the enormous and permanent detrimental
influence of human activity on the planet. At the time the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a
global pandemic, climate change was at the forefront of political conversations and agendas.
It was a crucial time to take decisive action to protect the future of the planet. However, the
world's spotlight moved away from climate change as the impact of the pandemic wore on.
Now, scientists are highlighting the similarities between the two crises, even suggesting that
climate change may have been a causal factor in the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the
ravages inflicted by this war and pandemic, people in Afghanistan also must contend with a
worsening climate crisis and other natural disasters. 400,000 vehicles travel in Kabul every
day, but only 5% have been on the streets since the lockdown began. The National
Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) announced that owing to the change of seasons
and the lockdown in Kabul, the city's air pollution has decreased considerably. Kabul has
long been regarded as one of the world's most polluted cities, and with the arrival of winter,
Kabul's air pollution was deemed "dangerous." It has become necessary to prepare for the
unpredictability of severe weather events which is particularly challenging for the survival of
people and businesses. Still, the increasing incidence of these events means that businesses
must develop emergency plans for events that severely impact their business, employees,
customers, and suppliers.

Women's Role During Pandemic

In Afghanistan, women and adolescent girls are at the frontline of the crisis, leading their
communities' response to the pandemic. They are the leaders in raising awareness about the
virus and supporting
efforts to prevent the
spread through mask
making and developing
ventilators out of car
parts. Through
partnerships with local
women's organizations,
they raise awareness
about COVID-19 by
going door-to-door in
four provinces — Ghor,
Badghis, Farah, and
Herat. Through
community elders and
religious leaders, these
organizations also spread awareness around hand hygiene and other infection prevention and
control among women in rural areas. However, for peace to be credible, they say it must be
inclusive of everyone in Afghanistan, especially women and girls.

Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Gender inequality, discrimination, and detrimental cultural and societal norms all contribute
to violence against women and girls (VAWG). VAWG and Gender-based violence (GBV) in
Afghanistan is common, according to reports. suggesting that 56% of women had had an
intimate relationship Partner violence is a serious problem. According to reports, violence
against women and girls has worsened in the setting of COVID-19, when movement is
restricted, people are confined, poverty and unemployment are on the rise, and protection and
health systems are poor, women and girls are more likely to be victims of violence.
Restriction of mobility, lockdowns, and forced quarantine measures, in addition to limiting
VAWG survivors' access to resources and therefore affecting their individual safety plans,
inevitably exacerbate the impunity already enjoyed by offenders. Throughout the
Afghanistan's conservative climate, in which the most marginalized are women and girls,
COVID 19 has the potential to enhance lockdowns and curfews, the dangers of violence
against women and girls, especially when women and girls are restricted service in their
homes with abusive partners in the health-care context, providers are becoming
overburdened.

Changing Consumer behavior

COVID-19 altered how we live and work in ways that will last long after the epidemic has
passed. Companies rushed to use digital and automation technology, substantially speeding
up trends that had been developing at a much slower rate before the crisis. Work became
more flexible, shopping, entertainment, and even health became more accessible online, and
businesses worldwide rushed to implement digital systems to keep up with the changes.
After the epidemic passes, these shifts in consumer behavior and business models will likely
remain in advanced nations, but maybe not to the same extent they did during the crisis. They
promise significant benefits in terms of increased productivity, efficiency, and innovation—
but they also risk causing an uneven economic recovery, with rising inequality among
workers, differing outcomes for consumers based on their age and income levels, and a
widening gap between outperforming and underperforming companies—unless business
leaders and policymakers take steps to mitigate these unwelcome effects. The people of
Afghanistan started to adapt to new normal by engaging in the digital world. The people and
the business are transforming to become crisis resilient and sustainable.

Mental Stress From COVID-19

The pandemic had a long-term psychological, economic, and societal impact on individuals
as they adapted to a completely new world that we were not prepared for. Many people lost
family members or were laid off from their jobs, causing mental hardship in their lives. The
COVID-19 epidemic in Afghanistan has had an influence on the population's mental health,
owing to the stress induced by mobility restrictions and false and unconfirmed information
published in the media, especially social media. During this time, we ensured that mental
health and psychological help were available to anyone affected by the epidemic. At the
initial phases of the pandemic, patients were unable or reluctant to visit mental health
facilities due to movement restrictions and fear of infection, leading to disruptions in
treatment and care plans.

Building Back Better

Afghan government and businesses cannot be successful in societies that are not working
effectively to help and work for the betterment of people. Businesses must contribute their
expertise and assets to aid in the development of a better society. This is particularly evident
in financial inclusion, where we must bring the best of all sectors - public and private - to
bear on these issues. We have reason to be hopeful, but how we get out of this crisis is a
major worry. We must concentrate not just on a healthcare solution but also on a recovery
that considers the environment, sustainability, and societal issues, including inequality,
mental health, and a lack of community cohesion and inclusion. If we do not do so,
inequalities, particularly financial inequality, would likely persist and grow. Afghanistan
must brace for change in the country to protect people from future crises and build
sustainable infrastructure and society that can withstand challenging times. We have a shot
for a clean, green, and long-term recovery that will allow growth to resume, but only if we
put people and communities first. As a responsible country, we must grab this chance with
both hands to help society to adapt and come back.

CORONAVIRUS AND EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN: RESPONSES,

CHALLENGES, AND THE THREATS OF EDUCATIONAL DIVIDE

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most severe risks to the 2030 Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 4 of providing excellent education to all people worldwide. This is
also true in Afghanistan, where the epidemic and its consequences aggravate an already
terrible situation exacerbated by continuous fighting. During the COVID-19 school closures,
Afghanistan's Ministry of Education (MoE) is faced with the enormous burden of providing
education to every student. In conjunction with the government, the Ministry of Education
agreed not to start the new school year on March 23, 2020, to manage and minimize the
spread of the virus. In addition, the administration has planned to shut all public and private
higher education institutions. With 3.7 million children out of school before the pandemic, 60
percent of whom were girls, Afghanistan is among the countries with the highest risk of
school dropouts because of COVID-19.
When the epidemic broke out, most students were on winter vacation and stayed home.
Alternative services offered as part of the Ministry of Education's COVID-19 response plan,
such as self-directed learning, remote learning via television, information and communication
technology, and face-to-face education in small groups, have shown to be unsuccessful. Most
teachers and students did not have access to the internet, reliable energy, or television. As a
result, most students could not participate in courses offered by the Ministry of Education's
educational channel.
Online Learning
The pandemic brought up changes that were destined to take place in some time in the future.
The expert already predicted the future of online learning and education, but the pandemic
forced people to adopt it early. The Covid-19 epidemic poses a significant threat to
Afghanistan's educational system. Individuals in a country and people who have never
experienced long-distance education (online education) have a barrier in obtaining
educational materials and
support. Most people gather
at the educational institute
that can become the cause of
the spread of the virus. In
response to the virus, the
Afghanistan government shut
down the educational institute
in the first phase. The shift to
online education has been
dramatic for the country that
lacks basic amenities of life
and infrastructure to manage
existing trends brought up by
the pandemic. For the time,
the students were introduced
to zoom sessions for the
online classes. The benefit
has been uneven for the people as most students don't have access to the internet and laptop
to attend online classes. The country lacks the financial resources and accessibility to address
this issue. To address this problem, we will undoubtedly require long-term effort.
The MoE was quick to adopt new approaches, supported by its national and international
partners, to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the education system. Under the slogan of
'education continues,' the MoE has decided to deliver education through two options:

 Distance learning via the internet (digital) and radio and television broadcasting; and
 Learning at schools in smaller groups under the health guidelines of the Ministry of
Public Health.

Distance learning
Distance education offers advantages and disadvantages in Afghanistan, as it does in all other
nations. The apparent benefit is to make educational materials available to students who are
unable to attend schools and regular classroom activities due to school closures and
quarantine measures via the internet and radio and television broadcasting. The graph depicts
substantial variations in personal internet access by gender, region, age, and education. Men
have more access (44%) to the internet than women (13%), as shown in the figure below.
There is also an apparent disparity between urban (44%) and rural (23%) areas. The age
group also makes a visible difference in personal access to the internet, as the younger
population (age 18-25) is the highest internet user. University students and graduates (79%),
the majority of whom are male urbanites, have the highest rate of personal access to the
intern.
Despite the apparent advantages of remote education, which is primarily based on the
availability and affordability of current information and communication technology,
instructors and textbooks remain the pillars of all national curricula across the world.
Teachers' approaches to employing textbooks in the delivery of national curriculum, on the
other hand, vary by country.
The use of textbooks in schools has declined over the past decade. The national curriculum is
solely delivered through a single set of textbooks for each grade across all public and private
schools in Afghanistan. In emergencies, the MoE has the advantage of existing content for
developing recorded audio and video lessons and delivering them via radio and television,
and the internet across the country. Hundreds of hours of audio and video-based content for
general education (grades 1-12) and three levels for the adult literacy programs were recorded
by the Ministry of Education during the last two months. These items have been made
available in digital format on the Ministry's website. They are freely available to all students
and radio and television programming on national and local private channels. The recorded
material is based on specific school textbooks for each grade, teacher guidebooks, the
textbook's lesson number, and the page number and follows the national curriculum. The
method is simple and easy to follow.

Learning at schools
The Ministry of Education's
(MoE) second proposed
contingency plan was to
deliver limited education at
school premises in smaller
groups under specified
health guidelines prescribed
by the Ministry of Public
Health. The delivery of this
plan is currently almost
impossible, especially in
Kabul and other major
cities, for two obvious
reasons:
Firstly, the Government
imposed a strict lockdown
in densely populated cities across the country to slow down the spread of the virus. As people
cannot come out of their homes, face-to-face education on school premises cannot happen.
Secondly, the lack of testing centers makes it impossible to know who, how
many, and where have contracted the virus. Therefore, it is perilous to allow face-to-face
activities and risk the health of teachers, students, and their families.

Distance Education and the threats of

Educational Divide
Afghanistan has been thrown into the realm of distant and digital learning because of the
COVID-19 epidemic. The technical infrastructure, particularly the internet, is now
insufficient to enable distance and digital education at the national level. We are not the only
country with this problem. Many other countries across the world are facing similar issues.
In comparison, 27% of students use smartphones or tablets to access the internet, which
generally means slower speeds and isn't ideal for online learning. In Afghanistan, students'
access to the internet is a far more significant issue. The students in are unable to utilize the
minimal technology accessible due to poverty and a poor economy. Gender, region, age, and
education all impact personal internet access, as seen in the graph above. Many households
do not have access to power or television, let alone a computer, internet, or cellphones used
for educational purposes. In addition, most families lack a fundamental understanding of the
educational system. Computers, the internet, and remote study are foreign concepts to them.
All their hopes and reliance are placed on the school, the instructor, and the textbook, without
which they would be unable to assist their children.
Moving from traditional schooling to distant learning (both digital and non-digital) is a novel,
abrupt, and difficult transition. Similarly, many students may find the shift from online
learning to face-to-face instruction in the classroom difficult experience. Digital literacy and
technology availability are two factors that contribute to the transformation of existing
economic and social inequalities into digital divides. Due to the prolonged school closures,
the digital gap has been transferred to the school level, becoming an educational divide.
Families with better digital literacy can help their children, and conversely, children of poor
and digitally illiterate families are at risk of falling behind. As a result, the digital divide
between children from wealthy households and children from impoverished, technologically
illiterate families is rapidly increasing. When kids return to school and sit for exams, the
depth and breadth of this difference will be visible.
Despite these obstacles, the Ministry of Education's efforts are appreciated, particularly in
creating hundreds of hours of audio and video-based content for all 12 general education
grades and making it available via the internet, radio, and television stations. While there isn't
much that can be done at this point to narrow the educational divide between rich and poor,
there is still time to salvage the current school year and convert the crisis into an opportunity.
Conclusion
The world will never be the same again because of the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic. The
way people communicate, societal conventions, and behaviours are changing. In education,
medical care, entertainment, and business, more digitization and fewer physical contacts are
becoming the norm. Global politics and the global economy will both undergo significant
transformations. Afghanistan's state has, predictably, been a part of these global
developments. Underinvestment in infrastructure and health care systems in developing
nations puts them at a disadvantage when assisting people in times of disaster. COVID-19
offers a shared threat to everyone, stressing the need to establish a common good. The
pandemic has worsened fundamental inequity and weaknesses in the system. Fostering
solidarity, eliminating inequalities and political infighting, and supporting competent
administration is more vital than ever.
The fact that COVID-19 falls during the fragile Afghan peace process adds to worries about
growing vulnerability, volatility, and frustration with governance system failings. The
temptation to adopt firefighting-style response tactics, which are nearly exclusively focused
on the pandemic's immediate consequences and national security, is likely to increase.
Regardless of the outcome of the existing peace process or the possibility of a new wave of
the epidemic, people's rights, social priorities, and socioeconomic needs must all be
addressed to reduce the risk of conflict continuance or repetition. The two most pressing
pressures for Afghanistan are the pandemic and the uncertain prospects of a peace agreement
with the Taliban. Both these needs would be better addressed if there is the cessation of
hostilities and a ceasefire in the conflict.
The effects of the pandemic are far-reaching -rom the economy to government and
healthcare, in education. Nonetheless, just as a crisis is fraught with dangers, it is also fraught
with possibilities. When the storm passes and the dust settles, our capacity to successfully
minimize the dangers while capitalizing on the possibilities out of the crisis will determine
whether the new world emerges stronger – and the post-COVID-19 normal more robust and
sustainable.

Ways forward
New circumstances that arise because of a crisis can reshape how politics develops, and
policies are formed and executed. Peace and War in Afghanistan are inextricably linked to
the country's historical legacy as well as the longer-term socioeconomic and development
problems it will confront, all of which have been amplified and worsened by the epidemic.
Given the complexities and uncertainties of the current circumstances, making specific
recommendations on what various actors should or could do is challenging and perhaps not
fruitful because they would be underlining the importance of information-sharing,
coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on critical issues, such as the peace process,
addressing the extraordinary pressures of the pandemic and focusing on strategic and longer-
term prospects for Afghanistan.
Faced with government's inability or unwillingness to implement inclusive, transparent, and
accountable modes of governance in all matters of peace negotiations and the fight against
the pandemic, civil society and the international donors who support it have a unique
opportunity to try new things and expect better results. To this end, the people and
government must use the COVID-19 crisis and the peace negotiations as opportunities for
practicing good governance in decision-making and provision and public policymaking. They
should define new modalities and priorities for international aid in the country beyond the
intra-Afghan peace process and COVID-19. The development of support resilient, productive
economic activity is necessary for the long-term sustainability. The state must invest and
allocate funds for building the social infrastructure like schools and hospitals in the country.
The education will empower them to take decisive action during crisis. When the basic needs
of the society are meet, then they work for the betterment of the country. Above all the state
must enable and empower civil society by engaging with them on the broad range of issues
and making them stakeholders in the policy making. The community and civil society
engagement are inevitable in challenging time as they have the power to influence the people
on taking step to bring change in the society.
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