KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that 22.9 million people will need humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan in 2025, slightly down from 23.7 million in 2024.
In the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025, released on Tuesday, December 17, OCHA highlighted that humanitarian actors have prioritized 16.8 million out of the 22.9 million people in need, with an estimated $2.42 billion required to assist those prioritized.
In 2024, UN agencies prioritized 17.3 million people out of 23.7 million in need and requested $3.06 billion to assist those targeted. In 2023, the UN launched a record-breaking $4.6 billion appeal for Afghanistan.
The UN agency estimates that in 2025, 14.8 million people will face acute food insecurity, 14.3 million will have limited access to healthcare, 7.8 million women and children will need nutrition assistance, and 21 million people will lack access to adequate water and sanitation in Afghanistan.
OCHA stated that the humanitarian response will include food assistance, emergency shelter, healthcare, nutrition services, education, safe drinking water, hygiene items, cash assistance, and other forms of multi-sectoral support.
“The protection of vulnerable groups, especially women, girls, boys, and those living with disabilities, remains paramount, ensuring they do not fall further into humanitarian need,” the UN agency added.
According to the report, unemployment, household debt, and poverty remain widespread in Afghanistan, affecting half of the country’s population, with women and women-headed households being particularly impacted.
“Economic decline has further contributed to gaps in sustainable development, limited livelihood opportunities, and weak healthcare and education systems, hindering resilience and generating conditions for recurring humanitarian crises,” OCHA added.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has significantly deteriorated since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, plunging the country into one of the world’s most severe crises.
The country remains highly susceptible to frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, due to its mountainous terrain and ongoing environmental degradation.
Additionally, the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan over in recent years has worsened the situation, as they return to Afghanistan with almost nothing, while the Taliban has proven unable to manage the crisis.
The humanitarian response, however, has faced a significant funding gap over the past two years. The UN’s $3.06 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan in 2024 remains critically underfunded, with only 37.5% of the required funds secured as of November. In 2023, the UN’s $4.6 billion appeal was funded at just around 40%.
