15 February 2011
Villagers living at high altitude in Afghanistan have received Tearfund help after flash flooding destroyed their crops and left them facing hunger.
Three communities in the remote Lal-wa-Sarangal district of the central highlands were affected after their land was deluged.
A Tearfund partner provided tools and equipment so locals could reclaim damaged land, as well as small loans for new wheat seeds which they managed to sow in the three remaining weeks of the planting season.
That resulted in a successful harvest, prompting village elder Mohammed Ali to respond: 'You have brought us to life again.'
Bruce Clark, Tearfund's Country Representative for Afghanistan, who recently visited the affected communities which lie at 11,000 feet above sea level, said, 'The villagers had never experienced flash flooding. It washed away their entire recently planted wheat crop for the year and they were desperate for help.'
The communities also asked for Tearfund assistance to build a wall to reduce the impact of future floods. Using local labour, the work was recently completed.
Bruce added, 'The villagers remain very poor and vulnerable to flash floods and other shocks in the future. They do however have a bit more resilience and self-confidence in their ability to work collectively to protect their land and livelihoods.
'Perhaps as importantly, the communities retained their dignity as the support they received was given in a way that fostered self-help and sustainability, not a relief dependency common in other parts of Afghanistan.'
