Kabul, Afghanistan, 28 June 2022 – Since January 2022, UN-Habitat has started activities in the northern and southern regions of Afghanistan under the Area-Based Approach for Development Emergency Initiatives (ABADEI) Programme. Considering the current socio-economic and humanitarian crisis, including worsening poverty, food insecurity and lost jobs, UN-Habitat intervened through a “Cash for Work” approach to respond directly to create an immediate source of income and safeguard livelihoods in Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif cities.

The Cash for Work activities created short-term employment for 2010 Afghans. Among the beneficiaries, 59% are youth, 4% are persons with disabilities, and 16% have a family member living with a disability. The activities provided many households with much-needed income as well as welcome relief for many vulnerable Afghans.

Through the Cash for Work modality, UN-Habitat implemented Canal Cleaning, Street Cleaning, Drainage Ditch Cleaning, Park Greenery and Garbage Cleaning projects in Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar cities. Below are the results of the activities in both cities:

Key results in Mazar-i-Sharif city: 

• 2 canals (cumulative length of 4km) cleaned
• 60 kms of roads in 10 districts of Mazar city swept
• 10 kms of ditches in district 3 cleaned
• 3 parks covering an area of 8,000 m2 cleaned
• 5,500 m3 of waste disposed

Key results in Kandahar city:

• 21499 m3 of sludge, mud and solid waste taken out from the roadside ditches in districts 1 to 14.
• 90.5 km (2439946 m2) Street and sidewalk swept and cleaned in districts 1 to 14.
• 340169 m2 green area upgraded and prepared for irrigation in districts 1 to 14.
• Water reservoirs constructed for a total of 9984 trees
• 447530 m2 area cleaned and upgraded in Eidgah and Chehel Zeno Park
• 448m canal cleaned and 560 m3 solid waste taken out from the canal in districts 6

UN-Habitat followed the People’s Process to implement the Cash for Work activities. The process facilitates participation of community members to identify local problems and to find appropriate solutions. UN-Habitat sought the support of existing Gozar Assemblies to identify Cash for Work activities and to select project beneficiaries in Kandahar and Mazar-i-sharif.