What is the Crisis About?
(Updated 9 April 2026) Afghanistan is still reeling from decades of conflict, disasters such as the devastating earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan in October 2023, and a crippling economic crisis.
According to the United Nations, approximately 22.9 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance in 2025, with food insecurity remaining one of the main drivers of need.
Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with a serious risk of systemic collapse and human catastrophe. In addition to unimaginable human costs, this crisis is reversing many of the gains of the last 20 years, particularly in relation to women’s rights and access to education and livelihoods.
Background on the situation
The end of the 20-year armed conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces in August 2021, and the simultaneous takeover of the country by the Taliban, have ushered in a new era characterized by rapid economic decline, hunger and risk of malnutrition, inflation driven by global commodity shocks, drastic rises in urban and rural poverty, a near-collapse of the national public health system, a stifling of the media and civil-society sectors, and severe restrictions on women’s participation in public life, education and employment.
Afghanistan’s economy contracted sharply after 2021 and remains stagnant, limiting households’ ability to meet basic needs and constraining the capacity of authorities to provide essential services.
Impact on People and the Environment
- 15.8 million out of a population of 41.7 million have acute food insecurity.
- 1 in 3 Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from.
In addition to the Taliban takeover and the post-conflict situation, three 6.3 magnitude earthquakes in the space of just eight days in October in the western province of Herat damaged 40,000 homes – 10,000 of which were completely destroyed – which affected 275,000 people. Thousands of families are now living in tents and makeshift shelters, where they are exposed to rapidly falling winter temperatures.
Since Pakistan announced the repatriation of “illegal foreigners” on 1 November 2023, more than 450,000 Afghans have returned, more than 85 per cent of whom are women and children. They require both immediate attention and assistance at the border and longer-term support for reintegration.
UN Response to the Crisis
Between January and October 2026, the UN and its NGO partners have provided direct life-saving assistance to 26.5 million people, including 14.2 million women and girls.
Aid operations continue to face critical funding shortages.
The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires approximately $2.42 billion, but remains significantly underfunded, limiting the scale and sustainability of assistance.
UN Agencies Involved and Their Role
The United Nations has a political mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), which supports peace, stability, human rights and coordination among international actors. [afghanistan.un.org]
Several UN agencies are deeply engaged in humanitarian and development work, including OCHA (humanitarian coordination), UNHCR and IOM (refugees, returnees and displacement), WFP (food assistance), UNICEF (children), WHO (health), UNFPA (reproductive health), UN Women (gender equality), UNDP, UNMAS, UNODC, and the World Bank.
SDGs Connected to the Crisis
Many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at stake in Afghanistan, notably #1 (No poverty), #2 (Zero hunger), #5 (Gender equality) #8 (Decent work and economic growth) and #16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions).
How Can You Get Involved?
- Donate to the World Food Programme (WFP)
- Donate to Afghan refugees (UNHCR)
- Donate to help women in Afghanistan (UN Women)
- Donate to UNICEF
- Donate to OCHA