the country has plummeted further into# political and economic instability,## frequent natural disasters and shortfalls# in aid funding exacerbate the dire situation## making it one of the worst humanitarian# crises in the world.

Ali Rogin has more.

ALI ROGIN: Almost two-thirds of Afghanistan's# population are currently in need of humanitarian## assistance, a 45 percent increase# since the Taliban takeover.

Meanwhile,## donor fatigue has left a humanitarian funding gap# of $1.3 million.

And in the impoverished West,## a string of powerful earthquakes last# fall killed more than 1,300 people.## Another 6.4 magnitude earthquake# hit this region just this week.

And now the country is facing an influx of# returnees being expelled from neighboring## Pakistan following that country's announcement# that Afghan migrants were no longer welcome.## Dayne Curry is the Afghanistan director# for Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian## organization in town this week.

Thank# you so much, Dayne, for joining us here.

Can you first give us an update on just what## life is like these days for# the average Au DAYNE CURRY, Afghanistan Director,# Mercy Corps: Well, certa humanitarian cha particularly economically for the country,# especially when there have been mult emergencies facing the country both with the# earthquake, and with the returning situatio It is a challenge for these communities# to recover.

The earthquakes in Herat## were incredibly devastating.

I visited one# community where of the 150 villager were living in that community only five# survived.

The impact of the earthquake## was severe.

And it's going to take a# long time for the recovery to occur.

When you then add additional regional issues# such as the returnees maybe as many as a## million people coming back from Pakistan into# an already challenging economic situation, it## just creates even more challenges for the ordinary# Afghans to be able to make ends meet day to day.

ALI ROGIN: And I know it's even harder# for women and girls in Afghanistan,## what is the situation like for them now?

DAYNE CURRY: We're very we obviously can note the social and# political challe But the humanitarian challenges# are of prime importance to us,## it is incredibly important that women and girls# have access to humanitarian aid, and we work to## engage the authorities to ensure that they# are able to have access to that assistance.

You know, for many women in Afghanistan,# it's just a question of how they provide## food for their families that their children are# able to get enough to eat that they drinking water.

In some communities, women# girls are forced to walk two or three ho one way just to be able to find clean# drinking water to use in their homes.

And so we need to address all of# those challenges and situations.## And that's the priority for us# as a humanitarian organization.

ALI ROGIN: And how have the earthquakes# affected the work that you do th is humanitarian aid to where it needs to go?

DAYNE CURRY: Well, thankfully, we, along# wi rapidly to the earthquake.

The importance# for what we see with the earthquake now is## beyond just the initial emergency support.# Beyond that first surge of assistance is## the long term recovery efforts that# will be needed for these communities.

This isn't just a one dump of assistance,# it needs to be a long term commitment to## make sure that the resilience# in Herat province is possible,## and that people are able to recover in a way that# doesn't further exacerba ALI ROGIN: And as you just mentioned,# there's going to be an influx of up## to a million Afghans returning.

How does# DA YNE CURRY: Potentially, it could be a# million more, it's already a half a million,## could be a million more.

And# the thing to remember is that## just because they're coming across# the bord they're not saying there.

They're returning to# their communities of origin an And these communities are already stretched.# They may not have clean drinking water.

They## may not have jobs.

They may not have# just basic means to support themselves.## So when you add that many more people into the# situation, it underlines the need for funding## and assistance that will be committed# to the Afghan people for the long haul.

ALI ROGIN: And the hunger crisis# is of course also worsening,## the World Food Programme had to cut back# its and now can only help one in five.

How# is that affecting the overall situation?

DAYNE CURRY: It affects it significantly.# It's important to remember while th emergency assistance going into these communities,## and that's essential to provide that emergen there's efforts to support agriculture# and livelihoods, ways for communities## to be able to provide for themselves, so# they're not wholly dependent on food aid.

And when there are reductions of emergency# support, it stresses the importance of## trying to be more strategic with that# funding.

So the Afghans can have their## own agency to take care of their needs# and not be so reliant on that assistance ALI ROGIN: State Department, USAID# officials have been on Capitol Hill## this week testifying about the situation# in Afghanistan Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul had# to say about the situation post withdrawal.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R) Texas: There# are no plans to ensure enduring peace,## or to support the Afghan people.

And now# under the admini Afghanistan continues to deteriorate every day.

ALI ROGIN: We know that many of these# issues in Afghanistan right now pr ior to the Taliban takeover.

But I# wonder what do you see as some of the## solutions that you would like the United# States and other partners to focus on?

DAYNE CURRY: Well, the United States# is obviously the largest donor to## Afghanistan and a significant part# of what we do we're thankful for the## assistance that the American people continue# to provide for Afghanistan and it's vit What we would urge the United States# government is to not only consider the amount## of funding that they're giving, but how they# strategically use that money, like I menti resilience for Afghan communities as important,# helping Afghan farmers to grow more via helping Afghan women to access the job market,# and to be able to have the skills to do that.

These are all important resilient steps that# that can be provided for the Afghan people## so that the aid that goes into Afghanistan is# more effective than it has been in the past.

ALI ROGIN: What are the messages# you're hearing from stakeholders## who are reluctant to provide that donor# money, especially citing making it even harder for, for example,# women to find those jobs that you mentioned.

DAYNE CURRY: We understand the concerns# and the challenges that donor funding going## into Afghanistan presents, it has for long time# presented many challenges, and we as organizations take integrity with that funding# very seriously.

We have measures in place to## ensure that the funding that we provide to Afghan# people reaches the people that it's intended to## reach and can be used most effectively to provide# assistance to people in a sustainable way.

ALI ROGIN: Dayne Curry, Afghanistan Director for# Mercy Corps.

Thank you so much for your time.

DAYNE CURRY: Thank you very much.