Afghanistan: protection of vulnerable communities through cash-for-work projects

Lasting impact on communities

The cash-for-work initiative has sparked transformation across rural Afghanistan. These construction projects have improved access to water for farming communities and helped them better withstand both drought and flooding.

In communities affected by armed conflict, where livelihoods and coping systems have been undermined, cash-for-work prevents people from forced economic migration to unsafe work environments or from getting tangled in the web of debt. By earning short-term income through meaningful labour, households meet their essential needs in a dignified manner, while rebuilding the agricultural infrastructure that conflict once impacted,

said Janeth Idolog, the ICRC’s economic security coordinator.

But the impact seeps much deeper as communities take pride in contributing to rebuilding their lives, resilience and self-sufficiency. While families buy food, school supplies and medicine, local shops and vendors have also benefited from the increased purchasing power. In community feedback sessions known as “tea & talk”, people reported there was improved cooperation among community members, water-sharing agreements and a stronger sense of unity following the projects.

Impact in numbers (2022–2025)

• Total projects: 35+
• Community workers employed: 6,945
  (382 in 2022, 2,645 in 2023, 3,383 in 2024, 535 in early 2025)
• People supported: 54,000
  (based on average household size of 8 members)
• Canals cleared or repaired: 14 kilometres long
• Protective walls constructed: 5 kilometres
• Farmland preserved: 120 hectares
• Increase in irrigated land: 25–40%