KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Norway has contributed 20 million kroner, equivalent to $1.8 million, to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund for 2024, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
OCHA expressed gratitude for Norway’s contribution in a message on X (formerly Twitter) today, September 8. The agency noted that Norway, a consistent donor, has provided over 189 million kroner to Afghanistan over the past 10 years.
This latest funding comes at a critical time, as Afghanistan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a shortage of international aid. Since the Taliban’s takeover, the situation has deteriorated significantly, making Afghanistan one of the world’s most urgent crises.
The UN estimates that more than half of Afghanistan’s population—23.7 million people, including 12.4 million children—will need humanitarian assistance this year.
Despite the growing needs, humanitarian agencies are grappling with severe funding shortages. The UN’s $3.07 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan remains critically underfunded, with only 25% of the required funds secured so far. This shortfall has forced many organizations to scale back or suspend their operations in the country.
In addition to the ongoing conflict, Afghanistan has been hit by natural disasters, including earthquakes, heavy rains, floods, and landslides, inflicting further financial losses on an already impoverished population.
International humanitarian organizations emphasize that the crisis in Afghanistan cannot be resolved with humanitarian aid alone.
They call for a comprehensive, sustained, and contextualized response from the global community, urging donor support for basic needs assistance, private sector growth initiatives, women’s empowerment, and livelihood generation, among other efforts
