KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN has once again expressed concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, reporting that one in two Afghans is affected by poverty and in need of assistance.
In a post on X on Thursday, September 5, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that 80% of families in Afghanistan are living on less than a dollar per household member each day.
Meanwhile, the UN agency also voiced concern about the severe underfunding of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan, noting that it is only 25% funded with just four months left in the year.
OCHA urged for additional support from the international community and donors, emphasizing that it is urgently needed to assist those in dire need and save lives in Afghanistan.
Following the Taliban takeover, the humanitarian situation in the country has significantly deteriorated, making it one of the world’s most critical crises. According to the UN, approximately 23.7 million people in Afghanistan, which is over half of the population and includes more than 50% of women and children, required humanitarian assistance this year.
The country has also been grappling with numerous natural disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rains, flooding, and landslides in recent years. These events, in addition to human costs, caused significant financial losses for the already impoverished population.
Women and children face even broader challenges due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights to education, employment, mobility, and other basic freedoms.
UNICEF estimates that 2.9 million children in Afghanistan will suffer from acute malnutrition this year. Among them, 850,000 face severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that demands urgent intervention.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies have struggled with a significant funding shortfall over the past three years. The UN reported earlier that only 25% of its $3.06 billion appeal for Afghanistan this year has been funded so far.
OCHA has called for continued financial commitments to ensure aid workers in Afghanistan can continue providing an essential lifeline to people in need.
