KABUL, Afghanistan — Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), warned that the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is being overlooked by the international community, with 22 million people in need of aid.
Speaking during a visit to Afghanistan, Mr. Egeland highlighted the dire situation faced by Afghan families, particularly women. “Here in Herat, I met women who had been deported without their husbands back to deep poverty and hopelessness,” he said.
He also raised concerns about mass deportations of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries. According to Mr. Egeland, Pakistan has expelled 800,000 Afghans, and Iran is planning to deport an additional two million.
His comments come as the United Nations reports that more than 22 million Afghans, including 12 million children, will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Aid groups have described women and girls as the most vulnerable population in the ongoing crisis.
Since the collapse of the former Afghan government in 2021, the country has descended into an economic and humanitarian emergency. At the same time, the Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women and girls, barring them from secondary education and many forms of employment, further exacerbating their plight.
Aid organizations have repeatedly called for sustained international support, warning that without it, Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian situation could spiral further, leaving millions at risk of hunger and displacement.
