KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that approximately 6.6 million people in Afghanistan urgently require shelter in 2024.
This critical need has been driven by a combination of factors, including the high number of returnees, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, as well as worsening poverty and unemployment levels.
“Shelter remains a thematic priority for UNHCR in 2024,” the agency stated. Efforts include providing permanent shelter solutions, repair assistance, emergency housing, and non-food items to help families in crisis maintain dignity. Additionally, the agency supports vulnerable families during winter with one-time cash assistance to cover rising energy costs and secure access to adequate heating.
The UNHCR report underscores the devastating impact of recent natural disasters.
The October 2023 earthquake in Herat alone damaged or destroyed over 48,000 homes, while severe flooding in 2024 has affected more than 18,460 houses across Afghanistan. These events, exacerbated by climate change and the erosion of community resilience following four decades of conflict, have significantly increased the demand for shelter assistance.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened dramatically since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, pushing the country into one of the world’s most severe crises.
According to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2024, an estimated 23.7 million Afghans—over half the population—require humanitarian aid. Of those, 52% are children, and 25% are women.
Afghanistan has also faced an onslaught of natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, and heavy rains, which have not only led to human casualties but have caused significant financial losses for the already impoverished population.
The humanitarian response, however, faces a major funding gap. The UN’s $3.07 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan remains critically underfunded, with only 25% of the required funds secured so far. Humanitarian agencies have warned that without sufficient resources, they will be unable to meet the escalating needs of Afghan communities.
International aid organizations stress that the ongoing crisis cannot be resolved through humanitarian assistance alone. They have called for a comprehensive, sustained, and context-specific response from the international community to address Afghanistan’s deepening economic, social, and environmental challenges.
As Afghanistan continues to grapple with complex crises, the urgent demand for shelter highlights the broader humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the country, placing millions at risk as funding shortfalls persist.
