UN Warns Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis Is Deepening Amid Widespread Restrictions

DID Press: UN has warned that Afghanistan is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis despite relative security stability, citing extensive restrictions on women’s rights, economic weakness, the return of millions of migrants and declining humanitarian assistance.

Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, said on Friday that the country was at a “difficult crossroads”.

He noted that more than 2.6 million girls have been deprived of secondary education since 2021, while the number of female university students has fallen to zero. He also said Afghan women staff members have been barred from entering UN offices across the country since September 2025.

According to the UN official, the forced return of 6.7 million Afghans since 2020 has placed additional pressure on public services and the country’s economic resources. He stressed that returnees need legal documentation, protection assistance and employment opportunities.

Lemarquis also reported a 330 percent increase in opium production in 2025, saying poverty and the lack of alternative sources of income have encouraged farmers to resume poppy cultivation.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian assistance has fallen sharply, declining from $2 billion in 2023 to $1 billion in 2025 and just $570 million in 2026.

The United Nations has warned that around 40 percent of primary healthcare facilities — approximately 700 of the country’s 1,900 centres — could close by the end of 2026.

Warning of rising humanitarian needs in 2027, Lemarquis urged the international community not to abandon Afghanistan. He stressed that the consequences of the country’s crisis could extend beyond its borders, affecting regional security, stability and migration routes.