The United Nations has appealed for $1.71 billion in funding to provide humanitarian assistance to 17.5 million people in Afghanistan in 2026, warning that the country will remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises despite a slight reduction in overall need.
According to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2026, about 21.9 million people – roughly 45% of the population – are projected to require humanitarian assistance next year, driven by prolonged conflict, economic fragility, food insecurity and climate-related shocks.
The UN said years of underinvestment in basic services, coupled with worsening drought, recurrent natural disasters and large-scale cross-border returns, have severely weakened household resilience across much of the country.
Aid agencies also highlighted the impact of restrictions on women and girls, saying their exclusion from education, employment and public life has reduced household incomes, increased dependency on aid and constrained humanitarian operations.
Afghanistan has seen millions of migrants return from neighbouring countries, mainly Iran and Pakistan, adding pressure to already overstretched services and local economies. Many returnees arrive with little or no resources, increasing risks of poverty, displacement and food insecurity.
The UN warned that continued funding shortfalls could force aid agencies to scale back life-saving program, particularly for women, children and internally displaced people, at a time when humanitarian needs remain acute across the country.
