A United Nations-managed humanitarian fund allocated more than $73 million to relief efforts across Afghanistan in 2025, supporting millions of people amid what officials describe as one of the world’s most complex and persistent humanitarian crises.
The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said it financed 119 projects through 71 partner organizations, targeting some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
The funding came as Afghanistan faced overlapping crises, including large-scale returns from neighboring countries, earthquakes, drought and other climate-related shocks, according to the fund’s 2025 annual report.
In total, the fund channeled about $73.4 million through eight allocations, supporting emergency responses as well as longer-term humanitarian needs. The assistance reached millions of people across sectors including health, food security, water and sanitation, shelter and protection.
The report said roughly 22.9 million people in Afghanistan — nearly half the population — required humanitarian assistance in 2025, with 14.8 million facing acute food insecurity and millions of women and children in need of nutrition support.
Broad reach, limited resources
Despite the scale of need, funding levels have declined from recent peaks, reflecting global competition for humanitarian resources amid crises in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, the report said.
The fund nonetheless remained one of the largest country-based pooled funds globally, supported by a wide group of donors including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and several European countries.
In 2025, about $54.3 million was contributed to the fund, according to a summary of key figures, while total allocations reached $73.4 million, indicating reliance on prior funding and reserves.
To adapt to tighter resources, the fund shifted toward more targeted “reserve allocations,” allowing quicker responses to sudden crises such as earthquakes and surges in returning migrants.
Focus on local partners
The report highlighted a growing emphasis on directing aid through Afghan organizations. Funding to local and national nongovernmental organizations rose to 39 percent in 2025, up from 28 percent the year before.
Overall, 31 Afghan NGOs, 33 international NGOs and seven UN agencies implemented projects. About 84 percent of funding went to NGOs, reflecting a strategy to expand local delivery capacity.
Support for women-led organizations also increased, with eight such groups receiving direct funding in 2025, alongside additional indirect support through partnerships, the report said.
The fund also introduced new approaches, including a pilot program for anticipatory action on drought — the first time such efforts were jointly financed with another UN mechanism, the Central Emergency Response Fund.
Combined allocations from the two funds reached about $115 million, supporting more than six million people through coordinated responses to drought, earthquakes and displacement, the report said.
Cash assistance remained a key tool, with about $14.3 million — nearly one-fifth of total funding — delivered directly to households to meet urgent needs such as food, shelter and health care.
Issues around operations
Humanitarian operations continued to face significant challenges, including restrictions affecting female aid workers, access constraints and bureaucratic hurdles, the report said.
Aid groups adapted by adjusting staffing, combining services and modifying delivery methods to maintain access, particularly for women and girls, who face heightened risks and barriers to services.
Monitoring data also pointed to delays in project implementation, supply bottlenecks and access limitations in some areas, though the fund said oversight mechanisms — including field visits, audits and remote monitoring — helped maintain accountability.
The report warned that humanitarian needs are expected to remain high in 2026, while funding constraints are likely to persist.
The report said the fund would continue prioritizing life-saving assistance and adapting to evolving conditions, but cautioned that limited resources would require “more stringent prioritization and difficult trade-offs.”
