KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) received $74.4 million in aid in 2024.
According to OCHA’s annual report, this was in addition to $37.6 million carried over from 2023. About 12.5% of the funds became available during the first quarter of the year, with the rest disbursed across the remaining three quarters.
For the first time, the Netherlands contributed $16 million, Kuwait donated $500,000, and Bulgaria added $32,000 to the fund.
“Against a backdrop of growing needs, a worsening operational environment, and shrinking budgets for humanitarian assistance and basic services, the AHF remained a flexible and reliable funding mechanism,” the report stated.
OCHA said the fund enabled the launch and expansion of emergency responses in remote, hard-to-reach areas, focusing on life-saving activities.
Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the AHF, with cumulative contributions reaching $1.1 billion.
Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan declined sharply in 2024 for the first time, forcing aid agencies to scale back or suspend parts of their relief operations.
The country’s 2025 humanitarian response plan is also facing a severe funding shortfall. The UN Deputy Secretary-General has called the situation a “death sentence” for millions.
OCHA said it will continue efforts to diversify and expand its donor base to support earlier and more predictable funding decisions.
“In 2025, humanitarian partners will need stable and sufficient resources to respond effectively amid global crises, shrinking aid budgets, and complex geopolitical challenges,” the agency warned.
Nearly four years into Taliban rule, hunger remains widespread. From late 2024 through March 2025, an estimated 14.8 million Afghans—over one-third of the population—are facing acute food insecurity.
