KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Canada has donated C$1.35 million (about $957,000) to the United Nations-run Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund to support life-saving aid programs across the country, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
In a post on X on Thursday, OCHA thanked the Canadian government for the contribution, saying its continued support enables humanitarian partners to reach the most vulnerable people amid one of the world’s largest crises.
The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund pools donor contributions to finance priority emergency response activities, including food assistance, healthcare, shelter and protection services delivered by UN agencies and non-governmental organizations.
The donation comes as Afghanistan faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Millions struggle to meet basic needs amid economic hardship, recurring natural disasters, reduced international assistance and the return of large numbers of Afghans from neighboring countries.
Nearly 22 million people — nearly half the population — are estimated to need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations. Women and children remain among the most vulnerable groups.
The World Food Programme has warned of a rapidly worsening child malnutrition crisis that has reached critical levels in 12 provinces. Nearly 3.7 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2026, the agency said.
Humanitarian organizations are also grappling with a major funding shortfall. The UN has appealed for $1.71 billion to meet Afghanistan’s most urgent needs this year, but only about 30% of the required funding had been secured as of August, according to OCHA.
Aid agencies continue to call for sustained international funding, warning that current shortages are already limiting the delivery of essential food, shelter and healthcare to millions of vulnerable Afghans.
