Gender Alert - Floods in the Northeastern region of Afghanistan

This Gender Alert has been put together by the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG)
and the Women Advisory Group (WAG) to the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). It relies on reports from
humanitarian partners, including women-led organizations in the Northeastern region. The alert does not
aim to be exhaustive but rather to provide an overview of the gendered impact of the floods and the
differentiated needs of women, men, girls, and boys.

On May 10 and 11, heavy rain fall and flash floods impacted the Northeastern region of Afghanistan,
affecting 21 districts, with Baghlan Jadid, Burqa, and Gozarga Noor in Baghlan province being the most
impacted.1 As of May 16, reports indicate that at least 180 confirmed killed and 280 people were injured2,
and many remain missing3 while reports of casualties continue to rise. Floodwater rushed through
numerous villages, causing extensive damage, including the destruction of 3,128 homes, public schools,
health facilities, water supply systems, and thousands of livestock and agricultural land.4 Several roads
across affected provinces are inaccessible, which further delays joint assessment teams (JATs) and
humanitarian response. Heavy rain continues, which may lead to an increase in the number of deaths,
injuries, and damaged or destroyed homes.

Immediate impact on the population, including women and girls

Data from health facilities indicate that out of casualties, 74 were women and 51 children under five5. 220
additional people required medical assistance, including 79 women, 74 men and 67 children6.

GiHA WG members and women-led organizations have reported that women and girls were in their
homes during the heavy rains, while men were outside and took shelter in mosques and more solid
buildings, which were less likely to be destroyed. Moreover, women-led organizations report that cultural
norms and current restrictions on women and girls in the country, including on mobility, education, and
work may have prevented women from accessing preparedness and early-warning information and
resources, hindering their ability to evacuate swiftly. As a result, partners observed a disproportionate
burden on women and girls in ensuring their own safety and that of their families amidst the disaster,7
while they report that women and children are the first impacted by the disaster8. Notably, women

1 Afghanistan Floods: Flash Update #1 Floods hit Northeastern Afghanistan (May, 2024), OCHA.
2 Afghanistan Floods: Flash Update #2 Floods hit Northeastern Afghanistan (May 2024), OCHA.
3 Afghanistan Floods: Flash Update #2 Floods hit Northeastern Afghanistan (May 2024), OCHA.

Observations of Baghlan province current flood situation (May 2024) CECO, Commitment for Empowerment and Change Organisation
4 Information collected by AWSDC colleagues from local sources, government officials, and non-governmental organisations.

5
Afghanistan Floods: Flash Update #2 Floods hit Northeastern Afghanistan (May 2024), OCHA.
6 UPDATE ON COORDINATION AND ASSESSMENT DONE BY UNICEF PARTNERs FOR THE FLOOD RESPONSE IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES
7 Afghanistan Research and Social Organisation
8
Health Cluster, Flash Update 3, 14 May 2024
represent 35% of the beneficiaries of the Health Cluster mobile team’s healthcare service delivery
(compared to 23% of men, 25% of girls and 17% of boys) as of 14 May.

Urgent Needs

According to assessments conducted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) and humanitarian teams deployed across affected districts, urgent needs include
emergency trauma care, shelter, financial and cash assistance, non-food items, food assistance, and
WASH facilities.

Reports also indicate that many dead bodies remain under the mud or lying in the open air, which can
increase the spread of diseases and potentially trigger environmental health issues. The situation is also
likely to further aggravate mental health needs among the affected population, in a context where trauma
and stress levels are high.

Information gathered by GiHA WG members highlighted the need for the urgent provision of temporary
shelter tailored to the needs of women, girls and vulnerable groups, ensuring their safety and protection.
They also pointed out the insufficient amount of food being distributed to affected families and
highlighted the need to reach women, particularly those pregnant and lactating, with nutritious food to
maintain their health and support their children. The distribution of Non-Food Items (NFIs), such as tents,
clothing, and dignity and hygiene kits has also been underscored. Sanitary products in particular do not
seem to be accessible to women which also points to the difficulties of reaching women with these
items in a culturally appropriate way.9 In terms of WASH, women led organizations highlighted the
pressing need for women and girls to have access to adequate washrooms and water points and the need
to repair the water supply networks for communities to have access to water10.

Short- to medium-term impact of the floods on women and girls

Additional information gathered by the GiHA Working Group and members of the Women Advisory Group
(WAG) stressed the need for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions as women
have been severely affected by the floods, suffering physical, financial, and psychological distress. The
impact on women is likely to be exacerbated by current restrictions and their lack of financial
independence. Many of the affected women earned their living through livestock and farming, but the
floods destroyed their only source of income, causing significant emotional distress.11 Losing their land
and earning will likely also mean it will be more difficult for women to rebuild their lives following the
floods, due to multiple other restrictions imposed on them.

Women’s participation

Partners contacted for this alert have reported being able to mobilize women staff to participate in the
humanitarian response. Notably, out of the 23 staff involved in joint assessment teams, eight women
enumerators were present. Coordinated efforts for women staff to be present are ongoing, as partners

9 See for instance https://theafghantimes.com/afghanistan-flash-floods-leave-women-struggling-to-access-sanitary-

products/?amp=1
10 AWEC
11
AWSDC
have drawn attention to the need to increase the number of women deployed to ensure that delivery
reaches women and girls. Similarly, the involvement of women-led organizations and their active
engagement in the response were identified as crucial for effectively reaching women and girls.

This is in a context where aid actors already faced challenges in accessing women in the Northeastern
region prior to the floods. The OCHA female participation mapping marked a number of Northeast region
districts as “low access” for women staff participation in 202312. Moreover, looking at affected women’s
access to assistance, in a study published in January 2024, 94% of women in the Northeast did not feel aid
actors consulted women on humanitarian assistance, while 91% did not know how to make suggestions
on humanitarian assistance to aid actors. 69% of women in the region also found it difficult to access
assistance13.

Given the numerous obstacles faced by women and girls in Afghanistan, coupled with the challenges
humanitarian actors encounter in reaching them, joint needs assessments and response teams should
address the following issues:

Areas for attention:

Ensure the safe participation of women in needs assessments and in the humanitarian response: The
participation of women in assessing, planning, and implementing humanitarian and early recovery
response to the floods is vital to identifying and addressing women and girls’ needs and vulnerabilities.
For women and girls to safely access essential services and aid distributions, it is crucial that women
humanitarian workers are thoroughly involved in response to the floods, including in data collection
efforts and service delivery. Some obstacles are still present to the involvement of women staff and access
to affected women. While the humanitarian community has been able to push back on requests for
sharing beneficiary lists, there are reports of de facto authorities (DfA) requiring humanitarian teams to
obtain their permission before assessments and distributions taking place, which could present
impediments to the presence of women staff. As seen in previous emergencies in Afghanistan, providing
safe places for women staff to spend the night in the field, as well as mahram costs when required, is
paramount to ensuring their participation in the response. Women Civil Society Organisations (CSOs),
and women’s groups should also be actively involved in ongoing assessments and distributions, ensuring
that women and girls’ vulnerabilities are adequately mapped, and that the response is inclusive. As
previous GiHA reports have indicated, their engagement is central to facilitating access to women and
girls and ensuring outreach to all vulnerable and at-risk groups.

Ensure that information is shared using channels and formats that are accessible to women and other
groups at risk: as evacuations are ongoing and aid distributions kickstart in affected areas, it is crucial to
ensure that information is widely disseminated and easily accessible to all groups. Cultural norms, gender
roles and current restrictions are likely to hinder women’s awareness of emergency preparedness and

12OCHA, Female Participation Mapping, 2023

13“We as women's groups can find women in need when organisations can’t.” Engaging women in the humanitarian
response in Afghanistan, Ground Truth Solutions and Salma Consulting for GiHA WG, January 2024, available at:
https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/we-womens-groups-can-find-women-need-when-organisations-cant-engaging-women-
humanitarian-response-afghanistan
response measures. Prior to the floods, 90% of women did not feel informed about aid distribution in the
Northeastern region. 85% of women did not know how to register for assistance, some of the highest
numbers countrywide. It is critical that all information about safety precautions, evacuation, and available
emergency services is provided with the active engagement of communities and local leaders and
women’s groups to disseminate information to women.

Some key considerations for information and communication schemes include factoring in that women
are more likely to be inside their homes and may have limited access to mass media and individual
communication devices. Further, given the high rates of illiteracy, particularly among women, it is
essential to make all information accessible through alternative means such as verbal announcements,
radio broadcasts, and sharing the information with women’s groups.

Ensure women mental health professionals are available to address trauma, emotional distress, grief,
loss and potential protection concerns: In the Northeastern region, mental health needs were already
important before the floods14. It is urgent that psychosocial support services are prioritized to assist
women and their families who were affected by the flood and are likely to have experienced trauma and
emotional distress caused by the disaster, including loss of family members, housing, and belongings.

Mitigate protection concerns which are likely to increase in situations of emergency, linking to prevention
of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and gender-based violence referral mechanisms and assistance.
In Northeastern region, a majority of people (74% overall and 81% of women) do not know how to report
misconduct15. It is key to set up adequate referral systems that are accessible to women and girls and
communities as a whole.

Provide safe shelter tailored to women’s needs: Current estimates indicate that almost 3,000 homes
have been destroyed by the floods, with reports from women organizations highlighting the urgent need
for tents for women and children. Needs assessments for emergency shelter should be conducted
inclusively to ensure that women, girls, and at-risk individuals are consulted and can benefit from
temporary accommodations tailored to their needs and safety.

Restore water supply networks and ensure the availability of WASH facilities in emergency shelter
location: Given the wide-scale damage to water supply systems, GiHA WG members stressed the need to
urgently re-establish water distribution systems, establish temporary water purification systems and
implement measures to prevent waterborne diseases by providing clean water. Adequate WASH facilities
should be provided in affected communities, offering privacy and safety for women.

Gender-responsive livelihoods: In the medium and long term, provide livelihood opportunities and cash
assistance directly to women to help them generate income and rebuild their lives, particularly if they
were the primary breadwinners for their families and if their agricultural land has been destroyed.

14Reports by OCHA representatives in the Northeastern region

15“We as women's groups can find women in need when organisations can’t.” Engaging women in the humanitarian response in
Afghanistan, Ground Truth Solutions and Salma Consulting for GiHA WG, January 2024, available at:
https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/we-womens-groups-can-find-women-need-when-organisations-cant-engaging-women-humanitarian-
response-afghanistan