KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) says humanitarian funding for people in need in Afghanistan has fallen to its lowest level.
In a statement issued today (Wednesday, July 1), NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said that, for the first time this year, Afghanistan has been included on the organization’s list of the world’s neglected crises.
The United Nations has requested $1.71 billion to provide humanitarian assistance to more than 21 million people in Afghanistan. However, only 16 percent of the required funding has been secured so far.
The Norwegian Refugee Council said that the people of Afghanistan, who for years witnessed a robust humanitarian response and a massive and costly Western military operation, are now among those receiving the least humanitarian funding.
The organization said the decline in aid to Afghanistan is due to the suspension of U.S. humanitarian support.
The Norwegian Refugee Council noted that until 2024, the United States had provided more than 40 percent of all humanitarian funding for Afghanistan.
The reduction in funding comes at a time when 21.9 million people require humanitarian assistance and millions are returning from neighboring countries.
The Norwegian Refugee Council added that only 11 percent of adults who have returned to Afghanistan are fully employed.
Egeland stated that, for the first time, Afghanistan had been included on NRC’s list of the world’s most neglected crises. He noted that funding for Afghanistan had fallen to record low levels, with only one in every six dollars required for humanitarian aid currently available.
He added that families had reported the decline in aid had left them without any lifeline and without access to even basic services. He urged donors to heed the warnings, saying that without urgent action, millions more people could be pushed into hunger and desperation.
“Our lives have got worse from the last two years. My husband used to work from time-to-time and humanitarian organisations also used to come in this area to assist us. Now, we don’t see much of that assistance, and my husband is unemployed and most days is unable to get work,” said Momina, a 45-year-old mother of six from Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.
The organization also warned about declining humanitarian funding for displaced people around the world.
The NRC statement said: “Families whose lives have been shattered by conflict are increasingly struggling to survive. Violence and displacement continue unabated, while spiralling inflation puts basic goods out of reach all at a time when aid is declining due to a lack of funding. If the world doesn’t choose to change course, we will see a massive loss of lives.”
According to the organization, by the middle of 2026, only 30 percent of the funding needed to support 143 million of the 252 million people requiring humanitarian assistance worldwide had been received.
Egeland said that international support for people affected by conflicts and disasters was extremely insufficient. He warned that without a significant increase in assistance, many communities in need would have little opportunity to receive help this year.
He also urged wealthier countries, including those capable of funding major projects such as space missions and the World Cup, to increase their support for people living through humanitarian crises.
The NRC’s warning comes as Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with widespread poverty, recurring climate-related disasters, and the return of millions of Afghans from neighboring countries placing additional pressure on already limited resources. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that continued funding shortfalls could leave millions without access to essential food, healthcare, shelter, and other lifesaving services.
