KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has projected that in 2025, approximately 5.8 million people in Afghanistan will require emergency shelter and non-food assistance.
In a post on X today, OCHA highlighted that these individuals include families affected by natural disasters, returnees from neighboring countries, and those living in informal settlements.
The agency added that humanitarian partners plan to prioritize 1.1 million of these individuals, with $179 million needed to provide emergency relief, winter supplies, and shelter.
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.
Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, exacerbated by its mountainous terrain and ongoing environmental degradation. The forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan in recent years has further aggravated the crisis, as many return with little to nothing, while the Taliban has struggled to manage the situation.
The UN estimates that in 2025, nearly 23 million people, more than half of Afghanistan’s population, will require humanitarian assistance. Of these, 14.8 million will face acute food insecurity, and 7.8 million women and children will need nutrition support. The UN agencies operating in Afghanistan have prioritized 16.8 million people and requested $2.42 billion to assist them.
In 2024, the UN requested $3.06 billion to support vulnerable populations, but according to the latest reports, only about 40% of this amount has been secured. The funding shortfall has severely affected aid delivery, putting millions at risk.
