The Assessment of Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Most Vulnerable Families of Afghanistan

Afghanistan reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on February 24, 2020 in western province of Herat. World Vision Afghanistan commenced its immediate response to provide food and hygiene packages to the most vulnerable families who could not afford it.  Since February, World Vision Afghanistan supported 120,000 affected population in three provinces of Afghanistan (Herat, Badghis and Ghor).

In order to better respond to the global pandemic, World Vision Afghanistan conducted an assessment on the impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable families. The aim of this assessment is to highlight immediate needs of the most vulnerable families. A comprehensive analysis about the scope of the impact of the virus on beneficiaries, especially regarding their socioeconomic status and child protection will help WV Afghanistan to design programmes that meet beneficiaries' expectations and immediate needs.

The findings of the assessment suggest that people are severely struggling to meet basic household needs. Due to the negative impact of the outbreak, the vulnerability of the households further increased which leads to dangerous coping strategies such as child labor, child marriage and decrease of food consumption.