In Pictures

Gallery|Humanitarian Crises

Photos: Displaced Afghans take shelter in ancient caves in Bamyan

Millions of Afghans are seeking international support to stave off hunger, disease and malnutrition.

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Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Fatima stands with her daughter in front of her home in a cave in Bamyan. She was displaced two years ago. When she moved back to Bamyan with three of her children, she had no money for rent and moved into a cave. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Published On 2 May 2023

While the world’s attention has long moved on, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains one of the largest and most acute anywhere.

A record 28.3 million people – some two-thirds of the population – require humanitarian assistance and protection; six million of those are already perilously close to famine, according to the United Nations. Women and girls are especially vulnerable.

The UN’s refugee agency visited Bamyan, a mountainous region in central Afghanistan. This winter was the coldest in more than a decade, and the brutal weather hit the poorest and most vulnerable particularly hard, including those who recently returned to the area after being displaced by decades of conflict.

With nowhere else to go, some families are even sheltering in ancient caves. Others have taken out loans or borrowed from neighbours to withstand Afghanistan’s economic freefall, which has sent food prices skyrocketing.

Names in this gallery have been changed for safety reasons

This photo essay was provided by UNHCR

Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Fatima has lunch with her two older children. Mostly the family eats bread and drinks tea during the day. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
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Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Communities throughout Afghanistan have witnessed significant voluntary returns of internally displaced people (IDPs) since early 2021. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Fatima sews designs for clothes every day for about one hour in her little cave to sell them. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
UNHCR’s household-level assessments have found voluntary returns of refugees in 2022 surpassed 6,000, a figure not seen since 2019. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
UNHCR says it is working to find solutions for people living precariously in the caves and is attempting to work on on land allocated by the local authorities, where 144 families will be provided homes. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Bamyan province is the highest region in Afghanistan and one of the coldest. But many families are struggling to afford food or fuel to heat their homes. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
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Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Shaima, 66, with her two grandchildren in her small house in Sabzi, Bamyan province. Together with her son's family and two other relatives, she has been running a small carpet business for many years. But since the fall of the former government, it has become increasingly difficult to sell the rugs. 'No one has money to buy,' she says. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Jawad 27, with his son in their house in Sherbatoo village in Bamyan province. He has four children and works as a farmer to feed the family. But since the Taliban came to power, the family's economic situation has deteriorated, he says. They don't have enough money to buy flour and oil to bake bread. 'We have no hope for the future,' he says. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Abdul Jalil and his son Mortaza in their small home in Sabzi, Bamyan province. Two years ago, they were displaced by the war between the then-government forces and the Taliban. Jalil says the winter was difficult for him as his children were constantly sick and he was unable to heat the house. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Nasim and his family in their small cave on the outskirts of Bamyan. Nasim normally works as a construction worker, but he has been unemployed for several months during the winter. The family lacks food and clothing. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]
Afghanistan. Winterization in Bamyan province
Marwa Faizi, 30, puts wood into the oven in her small home in Sabzi village, Bamyan province. Her husband was killed during the war while serving in the Afghan army. Since then, she has been a single mother, taking care of her four children. [Julian Busch/UNHCR]