KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – As the Taliban prepares to celebrate the third anniversary of seizing power in Afghanistan, international humanitarian organizations warn that millions of people in the country are facing one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, August 13, eight humanitarian organizations, including Action Against Hunger (ACF), CARE International (CARE), and Save the Children, warned that Afghanistan is at risk of becoming a forgotten crisis without continued support from the international community.
“Afghanistan is experiencing shock after shock — the ongoing economic crisis, the legacy of decades of conflict, the impact of climate change, and the gender crisis, have taken a devastating toll on the country,” the organizations said.
“The Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2024 shows that an estimated 23.7 million people are reportedly in need of humanitarian assistance, 52 per cent of whom are children and 25 per cent women,” they added.
After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation in the country has significantly deteriorated, making it one of the world’s most critical crises. According to the UN, now over half of its population, require urgent humanitarian assistance.
Additionally, the country has been grappling with numerous natural disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rains, flooding, and landslides in recent times. These events, in addition to human costs, caused significant financial losses for the already impoverished population.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are grappling with one of the most severe funding shortfalls in recent years. According to the UN, its $3.07 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan remains significantly underfunded, with only 25% of the required funds secured to date.
The international humanitarian organizations emphasize that the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan cannot be resolved with humanitarian assistance alone and requires a comprehensive, sustained, and contextualized response from the international community.
“The current isolationist approach of most donor countries does not support durable solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan, especially children, women, ethnic and other marginalised groups,” they said.
The humanitarian groups recommended increasing diplomatic engagement with the Taliban to enhance access to those in need, resuming development and long-term projects, and maintaining ongoing support from the international community.
They also recommended continuing gender-responsive multi-sectoral programming by ensuring that all humanitarian and long-term initiatives incorporate a strong gender perspective and address the specific needs and rights of women and girls.
