KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities in Afghanistan are currently banned, as restrictions on women and humanitarian access intensify across the country.
In its latest access update, OCHA said women are heavily reliant on mental health and psychosocial services provided in community spaces, warning that the suspension of such activities disproportionately affects women and girls.
The report states that the Taliban have also imposed restrictions on women’s access to essential healthcare services. While women are formally allowed to visit clinics, in some areas they are required to be accompanied by a male guardian.
“Female beneficiaries are reportedly allowed to visit clinics but must accompanied by a male Mahram in some regions. Mental Health and Psychological Support (MHPSS) activities are currently banned. Work permits for health and education staff remain difficult to obtain, and in some regions, female health staff are prohibited from using mobile phones. Humanitarian staff have been stopped at checkpoints and asked for additional documentation or approvals after conducting field visits. Temporary arrests, detentions and harassments of humanitarian workers have occurred, particularly for alleged non-compliance with Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) regulations. House-to-house polio vaccinations are not permitted.” Afghanistan Humanitarian Access Severity Overview [PDF]-December 2025.
Across the country, restrictions on female humanitarian workers and gender-sensitive programming have intensified, the agency said. The presence of female aid workers in all non-health and education sectors has been banned, and women-led activities have been suspended. “Some needs have been addressed, such as (food assistance and vocational training, but critical gaps like safe drinking water, health services, shelter, winterization, and education remain.” Afghanistan Humanitarian Access Severity Overview [PDF]-December 2025.
According to OCHA, overall constraints on humanitarian access increased in the second half of 2025.
Between July and December 2025, humanitarian partners reported 623 access-related incidents, marking a 25 percent rise compared with the first half of the year. These incidents led to the temporary suspension of 349 humanitarian activities and the closure of eight facilities, primarily health centers and women’s education centers — a 37 percent increase compared with the previous reporting period.
The western region recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by the southern and central regions.
OCHA said interference by the Taliban in aid operations accounted for 85 percent of reported incidents. Such interference included bans on female staff, delays in signing memorandums of understanding, involvement in beneficiary selection, interference in recruitment and procurement processes, and demands for staff information and sensitive data.
Gender-related restrictions accounted for 31 percent of incidents, the report said, noting that limitations on the movement of female staff persist even when accompanied by a male guardian.
Although the detention of humanitarian workers declined — with 34 staff members (18 men and 16 women) detained during the reporting period compared with 100 in the previous period, representing a 66 percent decrease — OCHA said the figures still highlight ongoing security risks.
In one area, partners reported that their female staff had been followed by unidentified armed individuals, undermining both their safety and operational capacity.
Environmental and security factors — including flooding, military operations, and contamination by unexploded ordnance and landmines — particularly in eastern and south-eastern regions, have further disrupted humanitarian access and service delivery, OCHA added.
