KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan has slipped from international attention despite its people facing “extreme humanitarian needs,” a senior International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official said, calling on the world not to abandon Afghan communities.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse in Kabul on Monday, ICRC director of operations Yasmine Praz Dessimoz said Afghans are struggling to survive amid significant humanitarian needs and a collapsing health system.
“Afghanistan remains among the top five ICRC operations worldwide,” she said, adding that sharp funding cuts has forced the organization to make difficult choices to maintain its presence and continue supporting the Afghan population. “Afghan people need national and international support,” she said.
Praz Dessimoz also voiced concern over Taliban restrictions on women, including bans on education beyond primary school and certain professions. The ICRC has retained its female staff in health support roles, but she questioned the longer-term outlook: “If the new generation is not educated, then there won’t be any replacement.”
She stressed the importance of women health workers to deliver care and remain close to female patients.
The ICRC supports 46 health facilities and seven rehabilitation centers across Afghanistan, including services for people injured in fighting or by unexploded ordnance. It is also prioritizing aid to communities affected by clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan along the border.
The warning comes as Afghanistan continue to faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to meet basic needs amid prolonged economic hardship, recurring natural disasters, reduced international assistance and the return of large numbers of Afghans from neighboring countries.
Nearly 22 million people are expected to need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations, with women and children among the most vulnerable. The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that child malnutrition has reached critical levels in several provinces, with funding shortages limiting food aid.
International funding for Afghanistan has declined sharply. The WFP’s appeal for the country was only about 12% funded as of August. The broader UN humanitarian appeal of $1.71 billion was about 26% funded by early August, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
