Afghanistan is facing a mental health and psychosocial crisis that rarely makes headlines. Decades of conflict, mass displacement, poverty and a steady flow of returns from neighbouring countries have left millions struggling, often in silence. At the same time, physical rehabilitation needs are also growing. Cordaid Afghanistan’s health programme is responding on the ground.
The programme reaches 357,443 people through community-based mental health support, psychosocial care and physical rehabilitation. Working through Community Resilience Centres and in close partnership with local organisations, it is helping people rebuild their physical health, as well as their confidence, relationships and hope for the future.
This booklet shares four of their stories. They illustrate what is possible when specialised, community-rooted care reaches the people who need it most, particularly women and girls, who often face the greatest barriers to access. But they also point to how much work remains. Estimates suggest that up to 15 to 20% of Afghans live with some form of functional difficulty, while access to rehabilitation and mental health services remains severely limited, especially in rural and conflict-affected areas.