KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The government of Japan has announced an additional $27.5 million in humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, December 17, the Japanese Embassy in Kabul announced the new funding, expressing hope that it will positively impact the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
The Japanese Embassy stated that the assistance would be delivered through UN agencies, international organizations, and Japanese NGOs.
According to the statement, with the new funding, Japan’s contribution to Afghanistan has exceeded $505 million since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
Japan’s latest contribution comes at a time when Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis, with over half of its population—nearly 24 million people, mostly women and children—needing life-saving assistance.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), at least 15 million people in Afghanistan, one in every three, do not know where their next meal will come from. The agency recently appealed for $787 million to prevent starvation among Afghans during the winter.
Malnutrition rates are rising at an alarming rate. WFP estimates that around 3.5 million children under the age of five and 1.15 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will experience acute malnutrition in 2025, marking a 28% increase compared to 2024.
Meanwhile, the international community has yet to meet Afghanistan’s humanitarian funding needs. The UN’s $3 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan in 2024 remains severely underfunded, with only 37.5% of the required funds secured as of November 27.
