KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Norway has contributed 25 million Norwegian kroner, or about $2.6 million, to the United Nations’ Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), the fund announced on Monday amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In a post on X, the STFA thanked Norway, saying the country’s continued trust strengthens collective action and enables UN agencies to align around shared priorities to deliver more assistance to communities across the country.
A week earlier, Norway also donated 15 million kroner, or about $1.63 million, to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, another United Nations-managed mechanism that supports life-saving aid programs in the country.
The STFA was established by the United Nations following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. It supports humanitarian and development activities in Afghanistan, including assistance to vulnerable communities and initiatives focused on human rights and the empowerment of women.
Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The United Nations estimates that nearly 22 million people — almost half the population — require lifesaving assistance. Nearly 5 million women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition, according to U.N. figures.
Humanitarian agencies are grappling with a major funding shortfall. The United Nations has appealed for $1.71 billion to meet urgent needs this year, but only about 30% of that amount has been secured so far, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Aid agencies continue to call for sustained international funding, warning that shortages are hampering the delivery of food, shelter and healthcare to millions of vulnerable Afghans.
