Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- As the drivers of need in Afghanistan shift from conflict to economic hardship, climateinduced shocks and significant operating barriers, the humanitarian outlook remains bleak. In addition, a combination of politics and policy has upended the lives of children and their families across Afghanistan. In 2025, 22.9 million people will require humanitarian assistance, including 12.4 million children.
- The rights and freedoms of women and girls continue to be curtailed, and the operating space continues to shrink through increasing impediments and challenges. As the situation worsens, it is imperative that UNICEF stay and deliver.
- Essential services are fundamental to sustaining life and preventing further deterioration for children. The lack of investment, particularly in WASH, has contributed to high humanitarian needs and prevented communities from building resilience and recovering from climate-induced and economic shocks. By investing in both humanitarian response and in meeting basic human needs, UNICEF will prioritize life-saving interventions while at the same time building the resilience of communities living through a multifaceted, complex crisis.
- UNICEF urgently requires $1.2 billion to provide humanitarian and basic human needs support to 19 million people, including 10.3 million children.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS
Children are experiencing the worst of Afghanistan's unparalleled and complex crisis. The political transition, such recurrent disasters as floods, landslides, droughts and earthquakes, the adverse impacts of climate change and increasing restrictions on women and girls have heightened protection risks and humanitarian needs at the household level. Humanitarian needs across all sectors have expanded since 2021 and reveal a lack of resilience among vulnerable communities and the consequences of diminished investment in meeting basic human needs.
Restrictive policies affecting women and girls profoundly impact Afghan society and its future. Continued bans on secondary and post-secondary education for girls, mahram requirements and prohibitions on women working in many sectors limit their participation in communities and their access to services, violating their fundamental human rights. These restrictions lead to social and economic isolation, mental distress and negative coping strategies. Moreover, the operating environment has become more restrictive, with decrees and laws obstructing timely service delivery and creating barriers for specific sectors, agencies and implementation modalities. These impediments are expected to escalate, further increasing humanitarian needs. A robust field presence and a strong capacity to negotiate at the local level couldn't be more important.
WASH needs remain alarming: 27 per cent of rural households rely on unimproved water sources, compared with 13 per cent of urban households, and 36 per cent of rural households use unimproved sanitation facilities, compared with 13 per cent in urban areas. 10 Poor WASH conditions contribute to rising malnutrition, particularly among infants, young children and mothers, a situation exacerbated by diarrhoeal diseases, inadequate water and sanitation services and poor hygiene practices. By 2025, 823,942 children will require treatment for severe wasting. 11 A fragile health-care system and unequal access to services, especially in rural areas, severely impacts vulnerable populations, with 91 per cent of households facing barriers to health services in 2024, compared with 77 per cent in 2023.
The education sector continues to experience escalating needs due to restrictive policies, resulting in a growing number of out-of-school children. This trend will persist as girls who complete grade 6 have no options to continue their education, effectively freezing their futures. The impact of policies on community-based education services, combined with economic stagnation, has led 11 per cent of households to deprioritize schooling due to economic challenges, up from 4 per cent in 2023. 13 Protection risks are paramount, with 23 per cent of households reporting at least one protection incident in the past three months, up from 19 per cent in 2023. 14 Additionally, 21 per cent of households cited community violence as a protection concern.
Increasing shocks (e.g., floods, landslides, epidemics and others) 16 further compound vulnerabilities, with 95 per cent of households reporting experiencing at least one such shock, a rise from 87 per cent in 2022. 17 Changing climate patterns and unpredictable rainfall have diminished communities' adaptive capacity. Without adequate investment in WASH infrastructure and rehabilitation, community resilience remains woefully inadequate, leaving millions dependent on humanitarian aid.