Since its establishment in 1984, DACAAR has been a prominent name in the humanitarian and development sectors in Afghanistan. As a non-political, non-governmental, non-profit organization, it works to improve the lives of the Afghan people by addressing the acute needs of the most vulnerable and supporting early recovery and sustainable development for all.

DACAAR’s emergency response interventions aim at life-saving in early stages of a crisis targeting internally displaced people, returning refugees, and communities affected by conflicts and natural disasters. Over the past years, DACAAR has endeavored to be among the first responders to people affected by shocks across Afghanistan.

DACAAR’s early recovery and developmental interventions are aimed at building resilience, enhancing capacity and improving livelihoods for protracted internally displaced people and returning refugees and their vulnerable host communities.

They apply a holistic and integrated approach to their interventions with an emphasis on sustainability and real and positive changes for their beneficiaries. They consider their beneficiaries as the most important stakeholders and the main drivers of their interventions. While maintaining their Danish roots, they are deeply embedded in the Afghan society and have access and long-term relationships with thousands of communities across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Internal Vision: DACAAR is a well-known and respected NGO with a strong anchorage in the Afghan society. It is a transparent development organization with clear and up to date policies and strategies and with committed and experienced female and male Afghan staff, increasingly in key management positions.

External Vision: Women and men in rural Afghan communities are in an effective and sustainable way managing local resources to improve their livelihoods. As part of a strong civil society and with support from governmental institutions, local community organizations and individual women and men have access to knowledge, education, training and social services and are able to effectively improve their quality of life and to withstand periods of calamity and stress.

Mission: DACAAR is a Danish non-governmental, developmental/ humanitarian organization that supports sustainable development in Afghanistan through the ability of local communities to decide upon and manage their own development process. Activities are implemented in cooperation with civil society organizations, the private sector and governmental institutions with a particular emphasis on poverty eradication and assistance towards the return and re-integration of returnees and internally displaced people.