Raising £38million for the Afghanistan Crisis

A combination of events in 2021 brought Afghanistan to the brink of disaster. Even before the recent conflict, change of government and collapse of the economy, people were struggling to survive the worst drought in 27 years, the effects of years of conflict and the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Now, chronic poverty and hunger have deepened and those who fled their homes in recent months are facing temperatures as low as -12 Celsius without suitable shelter. Over three million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by March 2022, with one million at risk of dying.

In December 2021, the humanitarian outlook was so severe that the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched an urgent appeal for Afghanistan. The DEC unites 15 leading UK aid charities to mobilise support from the British public when large-scale disasters hit countries without the capacity to respond.

The appeal set out to be fast, big, broad and relevant and the precise juxtaposition of ads and news editorial - born of John Ayling & Associates’ long experience of executing effective DEC campaigns – was integral to the success of the campaign. To date £38.1 million has been raised to enable the DEC’s member charities to distribute emergency food rations, deploy mobile health teams and supply winter clothing to families.

Afghanistan’s plight remains desperate. The DEC appeal continues but it does so with the knowledge that the initial appeal has begun to make a tangible difference to the suffering of so many Afghan families.