The UN agency for coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, has reported a 50 percent rise in Taliban restrictions on access to humanitarian activities in June, saying they have forced temporary closure of 21 humanitarian activities during this period.
The report said humanitarian partners recorded 60 access incidents during the month, up from the previous month. The incidents forced the temporary suspension of 21 humanitarian activities, delaying or interrupting the delivery of assistance in affected communities. The western region recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by southern Afghanistan.
According to OCHA, Taliban interference in the implementation of humanitarian activities remained the most frequently reported obstacle, followed by violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities and restrictions on the movement of humanitarian agencies, staff and goods.
Of the 43 incidents involving interference, 22 were linked to interference with humanitarian programming, while 13 involved restrictions on the participation of women humanitarian workers. The report also documented four incidents in which women were prevented from accessing humanitarian assistance, three cases of interference in staff recruitment and one incident involving enforcement of the Taliban’s dress-code requirements. Aid agencies also reported restrictions on the use of smartphones, which hindered monitoring, reporting, communications and the delivery of community-based services. OCHA said these measures continued to undermine humanitarian organizations’ operational capacity and limited effective oversight of aid programs.
The report documented 11 incidents of violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities, including 10 detention cases and one incident involving threats against aid workers. As a result, 14 humanitarian workers were detained during the month. OCHA attributed nine of the incidents to the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV). Several aid workers were detained at the Islam Qala Reception Centre over alleged non-compliance with beard and dress-code requirements, raising concerns about the safety of humanitarian personnel, particularly female staff. The report also noted that restrictions imposed by the ministry in Herat province further limited women’s movement, creating additional challenges for humanitarian operations.
OCHA recorded six incidents involving movement restrictions, including four checkpoint-related incidents and two cases affecting the movement of women humanitarian workers. Three occurred in western Afghanistan, two in the central region and one in the southeastern region. Humanitarian staff and aid missions were stopped, questioned and subjected to document verification procedures, causing operational delays and disrupting the delivery of assistance.
The report identified 30 gender-related access incidents, including restrictions on female humanitarian workers, detention cases, barriers preventing women from receiving aid, recruitment restrictions and checkpoint-related incidents. Aid organizations also reported additional limitations on hiring women, restrictions on female beneficiaries participating in training programs and reduced access by women to humanitarian services. OCHA said these measures continued to undermine relief operations and further restricted women’s access to life-saving assistance.
Herat recorded the highest number of reported incidents nationwide with 18, followed by Kandahar (13) and Kabul (9), according to the report’s provincial breakdown. Herat also recorded the highest number of gender-related incidents, with 11.
The report comes as humanitarian agencies continue to struggle with shrinking resources and growing operational restrictions. According to OCHA, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan aims to reach 1.72 million people each month, but only about 127,000 had been reached during the reporting period reflected in the snapshot, underscoring the widening gap between humanitarian needs and aid delivery.
