Attachments
Highlights
- In 2025, an estimated 22.9 million people including 12 million children will require humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, highlighting the urgent need for continued multi-sectoral support to reach the most vulnerable populations.
- In January, UNICEF reached 4.5 million community members (49 per cent female) with life-saving information and engaged with more than 184,000 individuals working with various community structures and networks (51 per cent female).
- In January, 37,551 children (58 per cent girls) were admitted for severe wasting outpatient treatment, while 3,029 children with severe wasting and medical complications were referred for inpatient care.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
A shrinking protection space, a fragile economy, insufficient access to basic services, natural hazards and climate-induced shocks, as well as regional political dynamics continue to undermine the ability of Afghans to recover from 40 years of conflict. In 2025, almost half of the population – some 22.9 million people – will require humanitarian assistance to survive, due to limited capacity to meet both chronic and acute needs. Seasonal and climate-related shocks, as well as natural disasters, further exacerbate humanitarian needs across Afghanistan, intensifying already precarious living conditions.
Severe climate change effects have precipitated a widespread water crisis that leaves no corner of the country untouched, and has generated new food, health, and nutrition needs. In addition, the risk of food insecurity is prevalent in some regions. Despite noticeable improvements since the 2021/2022 winter season, hunger remains widespread with 14.8 million people, more than one-third of the population, facing acute food insecurity through March 2025. The cumulative effects of prolonged food insecurity, inadequate water and sanitation and limited access to healthcare have contributed to increased acute malnutrition rates among children and pregnant women, with the number of districts classified as severity level 4 for malnutrition nearly tripling from 19 in 2024 to 56 in 2025. In total, 7.8 million children under five years old and women will require nutrition assistance in 2025, which includes 3.5 million acutely malnourished children and 1.1 million women that will require treatment.
Political developments in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan add to the risk of a renewed returnee crisis, which peaked in the last quarter of 2023 with the arrival of nearly 500,000 Afghans from Pakistan alone. In 2024, over 1.2 million undocumented Afghans returned from Pakistan and Iran. Although the monthly number of returnees crossing into Afghanistan has since stabilized, the ongoing threat of Afghan deportations from Pakistan persists. Moreover, recent announcements from Iranian authorities regarding the deportation of 2 million undocumented Afghans by March 2025 have corresponded with a temporary rise in mostly undocumented returnees crossing monthly, further increasing the need for assistance at border points and areas of return.