KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 14.3 million people in Afghanistan, mainly women and children, need healthcare assistance this year.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, OCHA highlighted that 23.2% of those in need are women, 53% are children, and 9.9% are persons with disabilities.
The UN agency also outlined its goal to reach 9.3 million people in need, with an estimated $279.7 million required to achieve this target.
Afghanistan’s long-standing health crisis is deepening amid a humanitarian and governance crisis that has brought funding shortfalls and a lack of professional health workers.
The Taliban’s restrictive policies, particularly the ban on women’s education and employment, have significantly worsened the situation. Over the past three years, many humanitarian agencies providing health services in the country have suspended operations due to Taliban restrictions.
Meanwhile, Humanitarian agencies operating in Afghanistan, including those in health sector, have faced unprecedented funding shortfalls in recent years, significantly limiting their ability to meet the rising demand for assistance.
In 2024, the UN appealed for $3.06 billion to support over 23 million people in Afghanistan, but the appeal was funded at just 40%. Similarly, the UN’s request for $367 million to provide healthcare services to 12.8 million people also remained substantially underfunded.
Humanitarian organizations have warned that, without sufficient resources, they will be unable to address the increasing needs of Afghan communities.
