Concern Worldwide US Receives Funding Secured by Project Resource Optimization (PRO) to Provide Emergency Cash and Nutrition Support in Northeastern Afghanistan
Concern Worldwide US announced a new $1.6 million project today to deliver emergency cash assistance and nutrition services to vulnerable households in Northeastern Afghanistan, where humanitarian needs have sharply increased following humanitarian funding cuts over the last two years.
“When humanitarian funding is interrupted, families do not simply lose services. They lose cash, food, and nutrition support that can determine whether a child remains healthy or a household goes hungry,” said Colleen Kelly, CEO of Concern Worldwide US. “This investment allows Concern to scale up a proven response and reach families before the lean season, building on programs that have already demonstrated a measurable reduction in severe hunger. It is a powerful example of how timely, sustained funding can translate directly into lives protected.”
17.4 million people across Afghanistan are projected to face food insecurity in 2026, including 4.7 million experiencing emergency levels of hunger. As of August 2026, one in three Afghans is experiencing acute food insecurity. The project will provide emergency cash assistance to 13,140 people alongside nutrition screening, counseling, referral, treatment and follow-up services – with priority given to households with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under five.
“This grant recognizes that nutrition outcomes are shaped not only by access to food, but also by knowledge, care practices, and access to services,” said Shahzad Jamil, Concern’s Country Director in Afghanistan. “Concern’s response brings those elements together, supporting vulnerable households with cash, counseling, screening, and referrals. It is a practical, community-based way to help mothers and children at a time when families are under immense pressure.”
Building on Concern’s longstanding presence in the targeted communities, funding secured by Project Resource Optimization (PRO) through its Urgent and Vetted Portfolio will enable Concern to scale upcritical support for households experiencing severe hunger and acute malnutrition.
The project will provide three rounds of cash assistance ahead of the lean season, reaching 1,800 households (13,140 people), complemented by nutrition screening, referral, and treatment, as well as infant and young child feeding (IYCF) sensitization. Together, these interventions will help address immediate food security needs while prioritizing pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under five.
Notes to the Editor
Funding was secured by Project Resource Optimization (PRO) through its Urgent and Vetted Portfolio.
About Project Resource Optimization
Project Resource Optimization (PRO) uses rigorous analysis, deep expertise and robust networks to help philanthropists identify and fund high-impact programs that need urgent support to sustain life-saving work.
About Concern Worldwide US
Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organization working to end extreme poverty in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Since 1998, Concern has worked in Afghanistan to address the impacts of the country’s decades-long humanitarian crisis through programs focused on livelihoods, health and nutrition, and emergency response.
