Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, Rooted in Trust is working to address the impacts of pandemic related information across the country with vulnerable communities.

All population groups have been impacted by decades of war, exacerbated recently by drought, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis facing the country since a change in political leadership in August 2021. Women, children, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities, continue to be amongst the most vulnerable and have less access to reliable information than the wider population. In the beginning of 2021, the Rooted in Trust Afghanistan team performed an information ecosystem assessment to understand which populations were most information vulnerable because of COVID-19. The report is entitled “Diversity, Distance and Distrust: Information dynamics in Afghanistan during the COVID-19 pandemic” and is available in English, Dari and Pashto. 

Rumors and misinformation circulating about the pandemic and vaccines dilute peoples’ ability to make informed decisions. In Rooted in Trust we analyze rumors circulating within the community and analyze why particular rumors gain traction and recommend how to engage community on rumors.

We’re producing resources for humanitarian communicators and media. As members of the Accountability to Affected Populations Working Group and the Risk Communication and Community Engagement sub-Working Group, and participants in the Health Cluster, we share data and products to support humanitarian and health actors to communicate with communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A peer-to-peer journalist network is being established as a space where journalists in Afghanistan can access guidance for reporting on COVID-19 and health issues, share information and questions, and participate in training and webinars. The network will be established and connected via Facebook.