The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported a significant escalation in actions targeting humanitarian personnel in Afghanistan, stating that 29 aid workers were detained by the Taliban in April alone. The detentions, involving 16 men and 13 women, highlight a sharp rise in violence and interference disrupting critical aid operations across the country.
In a monthly access report released Sunday, OCHA documented seven distinct incidents of detention, alongside two additional cases involving threats and verbal harassment. The agency emphasized that this surge in such events has severely hampered the ability of humanitarian organizations to operate safely and effectively, jeopardizing the delivery of life-saving assistance.
OCHA also recorded four incidents in April where Taliban members imposed restrictions on the movement of humanitarian personnel or supplies, most frequently at checkpoints. These restrictions often specifically limited the participation of female staff. Gender-specific access challenges accounted for 18 percent of all reported incidents that month, marking a 38 percent increase from March.
Beyond physical restrictions, OCHA highlighted two directives issued by Taliban authorities in April demanding sensitive data from aid organizations, including comprehensive lists of aid recipients. The agency indicated that such directives represent a growing trend of operational interference, raising concerns about the independence and neutrality of humanitarian work.
Due to these mounting access challenges and administrative obstacles, OCHA stated that 35 humanitarian activities across Afghanistan were temporarily suspended in April. In total, the agency documented 60 access-related incidents during the month, with 16 occurring in central regions, 12 in the south, and 10 each in western provinces.
While these figures represent a 52 percent decline from April 2024, OCHA cautioned that this apparent drop does not signify an improvement in the access environment. Instead, it largely reflects a reduction in overall humanitarian operations, primarily due to the suspension of U.S. funding. Fewer aid missions, the agency noted, naturally lead to fewer reported access constraints.
“Interference by de facto authorities remains the primary constraint to humanitarian access,” OCHA wrote in its report, attributing 73 percent of all reported incidents to Taliban-imposed restrictions. This marks a 16 percent increase over the previous month.
Such interference encompasses a range of disruptions, including obstacles to planning, aid diversion, delays in signing agreements, challenges in procurement and hiring, demands for staff and beneficiary lists, and limitations on the participation of women in humanitarian work.
OCHA warned that these persistent restrictions continue to undermine the timely and effective delivery of crucial aid in a country where two-thirds of the population relies on humanitarian assistance for survival.
