The United Nations says it mobilized about $1.7 billion for basic human needs programs in Afghanistan in 2025, marking a third consecutive annual increase in funding even as humanitarian needs remained acute and largely unmet.
Separate humanitarian appeals fared worse: only about $913 million — roughly 38 percent of the $2.42 billion required — was secured, leaving significant gaps in assistance for millions of vulnerable people, the UN said.
According to a report by the UN, against that constrained funding environment, the UN and its partners delivered assistance at scale, reaching more than 34 million people across the country. Health services alone covered 34.3 million individuals, while 4.6 million children accessed education and about 45,000 long-term jobs were created.
The report says that even as aid delivery expanded, Afghanistan’s underlying crises deepened. Nearly half the population — about 22.9 million people — required humanitarian assistance in 2025.
A major driver was mass displacement. Around 2.78 million Afghans returned to the country during the year, including 1.88 million from Iran and nearly 900,000 from Pakistan, placing heavy pressure on housing, services and local economies. At peak moments, daily arrivals reached as many as 30,000 to 40,000 people at key border crossings, the report says.
Natural disasters added to the strain, the report says, adding that an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan in August killed nearly 2,000 people, injured more than 3,600 and damaged or destroyed over 8,200 homes, with recovery needs estimated at about $129 million.
At the same time, trade disruptions compounded economic pressures. According to the report, closures along the Pakistan border late in the year caused Afghan exports to that country to fall by about 93 percent, while imports dropped by roughly 94 percent, disrupting supplies of food, fuel and medicine.
The broader economy showed only fragile stabilization. Growth remained modest, while per capita income declined and inflation reached 4.7 percent year-on-year. The report shows that imports exceeded $13 billion, compared with about $1.8 billion in exports, underscoring structural imbalances.
Across essential services, the report says, the UN maintained wide coverage but faced persistent gaps. In health care, more than 3,300 facilities were supported, nearly one million births were attended by skilled personnel, and 3.42 million children received vaccinations. Yet workforce shortages and chronic malnutrition — with stunting affecting 44.7 percent of children — highlighted systemic weaknesses.
The report indicates that education programs reached more than 4.6 million children, including 1.9 million girls, and literacy initiatives enrolled over 15,000 youth and adults, most of them women. Still, the continued ban on girls’ secondary education remained a major barrier to long-term development.
Water and sanitation services lagged behind, largely because of funding shortfalls, the report says. It shows that only 17 percent of required funding was secured for the sector, leaving an 83 percent gap and limiting access to sanitation and hygiene services.
Social protection programs reached more than 403,000 households and provided temporary employment to 3.2 million people, but 55 percent of households were still classified in “crisis” or “emergency” conditions, reflecting widespread economic distress, the report says.
Protection needs also remained high, the report says. About 1.2 million people received psychosocial support, while more than 2.2 million were reached through awareness programs. The report indicates that at the same time, at least 487 civilians were killed or injured by unexploded ordnance, with the true toll likely higher.
According to the report, restrictions on women continued to shape both needs and aid delivery. Limits on women’s employment and mobility reduced their access to services and participation in economic programs, with women making up only a small share of short-term employment beneficiaries.
Efforts to support economic recovery showed mixed results. Nearly 30,000 small businesses received support, and more than 10,400 loans were issued, mobilizing about $20 million in financing. But funding for economic programs reached only about 30 percent of requirements, limiting broader impact, the report indicates.
The United Nations warned that Afghanistan’s challenges are becoming increasingly structural, driven by chronic poverty, climate shocks and continued population movements.
While essential services have been sustained, the report said, “funding shortfalls increasingly constrained early recovery activities and reduced operational flexibility.”
With needs expected to remain high into 2026, the organization said continued international support would be critical to prevent further deterioration in living conditions.
