The United Nations has warned that the delivery of life-saving aid to millions of people in Afghanistan could be "severely impeded" as donors have only provided 7 percent of the humanitarian funding appeal for 2024. More than half of Afghanistan's population, 23.7 million - including 12.4 million children - are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, but aid agencies will only be able to reach a fraction of them due to a severe lack of funds.
Indrika Ratwatte, the humanitarian coordinator for the impoverished country, has called on the international community to redouble its commitment and increase financial support for the Afghan people.
According to a UN report released this week, Ratwatte expressed "deep concern" about current funding levels, as the UN has only secured US$220 million of the US$3.06 billion needed in this year's humanitarian response plan - one of the three highest in the world.
“Such a significant gap between existing needs and available funding will severely impede the delivery of life-saving assistance,” the report said.
In 2023, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) stopped food assistance for 10 million Afghans because of a massive funding shortfall.
Ratwatte underscored the need for a clear delineation between humanitarian and development needs, while adopting a nexus approach through joint programming. Such clarity is essential to mobilize resources and ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable.
UN agencies estimate that more than half of Afghanistan's population is in need of humanitarian assistance. They caution that a lack of donor funding is exacerbating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Afghanistan also remains one of the world's largest humanitarian emergencies. The country has been ravaged by protracted conflict, poverty and natural disasters, including floods, drought and earthquakes.
While armed conflict has declined significantly since 2021, instability and armed attacks, including the use of improvised explosive devices, continue to pose a significant risk to civilians, and chronic poverty and high unemployment, particularly among women, are expected to continue to drive humanitarian needs this year.
More than 15.8 million people in Afghanistan - one-third of the population - were estimated to be acutely food insecure between November 2023 and March 2024, including nearly 3.6 million people at emergency levels of food insecurity.
The situation is compounded by internal displacement and continued cross-border returns from Iran and Pakistan, straining already limited resources. IDPs living in informal settlements are at high risk of eviction.
Pakistani authorities announced in early October that all undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan - an estimated 1.3 million people - would be deported beginning November 1. Many Afghans living in fear of persecution following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan had fled to Pakistan, where they faced arbitrary detention, arrest, and threats of forcible deportation.
The government announcement led to a surge in Afghans returning from Pakistan. Since September, nearly 550,000 people have returned to Afghanistan, leaving behind their possessions, homes, and livelihoods in the neighboring country.
Most of the Afghan returnees crossed the border from Pakistan in November. The Pakistani government has ignored global calls to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees.
Two and a half years ago, the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan. They have imposed sweeping restrictions on women's access to education and work under their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Ratwatte reaffirmed the UN's commitment to gender equality and the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. He emphasized the need to further create inclusive and safe spaces for women and girls and to support their empowerment and meaningful and active participation in all aspects of public life, including humanitarian action.
The return of the fundamentalist Taliban to power has exacerbated the challenges facing humanitarian operations in the country. De facto Afghan authorities have banned women from public and private workplaces, including the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hampering humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.
Taliban authorities have also imposed sweeping restrictions on women's access to education, prohibiting teenage girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. They have rejected persistent international calls to reverse the restrictions on women, saying that their rule is in line with Afghan culture and Islamic principles. Critics blame the Taliban's restrictions for contributing to the humanitarian crisis and discouraging foreign donors.
The Taliban have rejected claims that their misogynistic policies are jeopardizing the flow of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, saying donors are politicizing aid.
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, economic and political instability has led to the deterioration of basic services across the country, increased prices for basic food and fuel, and reduced household purchasing power, affecting many Afghan households.
The cumulative effects of conflict, internal displacement, earthquakes and other natural disasters, and poor economic conditions have resulted in drastic levels of humanitarian need throughout the country.
Last year, the UN reported that more than 29 million Afghans were in need of assistance. Although the number of people in need has since dropped to 23.7 million this year, humanitarian sources say the reduction does not reflect a significant improvement in the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan compared to 2023.
Due to a lack of funding and pressure from donor countries, aid agencies will implement a more rigorously targeted response in 2024, focusing on the most vulnerable in the areas with the most urgent needs, leaving millions of others with severe needs unmet.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.