Afghanistan has become one of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises, with aid agencies receiving only a fraction of the money needed to support millions of vulnerable people, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said.
In a new report, the NRC said Afghanistan is now the fourth least-funded humanitarian response globally, with only 16.9 percent of the funding required for this year’s humanitarian response plan having been received.
The organization said the sharp decline follows the end of US humanitarian assistance, which had accounted for more than 40 percent of all aid to Afghanistan through 2024.
The funding shortfall comes as 21.9 million people—more than half of Afghanistan’s population—require humanitarian assistance this year, while millions continue returning from neighboring countries, placing additional pressure on already overstretched communities and services.
“This year, for the first time, Afghanistan features on NRC’s list of the world’s most neglected crises,” NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said.
“Now we are seeing funding for Afghanistan hit record low levels, with just one in every six dollars needed for aid currently available. Families tell us the drop in aid has left them without a lifeline and without access to even basic services.”
The organization warned that worsening economic conditions are compounding the crisis. According to an International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey cited by the NRC, only 11 percent of adult Afghans who have returned to the country are fully employed.
Momina, a 45-year-old mother of six from Nangarhar Province, said her family’s situation had deteriorated as humanitarian assistance declined.
“Our lives have got worse over the last two years,” she said. “Humanitarian organizations used to come to our area and assist us. Now we don’t see much of that assistance, and my husband is unemployed and most days cannot find work.”
The NRC said Afghanistan’s funding crisis reflects a broader global decline in humanitarian support.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), humanitarian agencies have received only $10.23 billion, or 30.4 percent, of the $33.66 billion requested to assist 143.2 million of the 252 million people in need worldwide this year.
Egeland warned that unless donors reverse course, millions of people affected by conflict and displacement could be left without lifesaving assistance.
“Global generosity for victims of conflict and disasters is abysmal,” he said. “Without a dramatic increase in support, countless communities will have little chance of being helped this year.”
The NRC noted that Afghanistan joins Yemen, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali among the world’s least-funded humanitarian emergencies in 2026.
The warning comes as Afghanistan continues to grapple with a fragile economic recovery, mass returns of undocumented migrants from neighboring countries and declining international assistance following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that shrinking donor support is forcing them to scale back food assistance, healthcare and other essential services despite persistently high levels of need.
