Attachments
Highlights
- In the early hours of 3 November, a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake ripped through northern Afghanistan, shaking communities from Balkh to Samangan as families slept.
- In November, 1.2 million children were screened for wasting and 33,510 children (58 per cent girls) were admitted for inpatient and outpatient treatment.
- The second phase of the nation-wide measles campaign was completed in November. Out of an estimated target of 9,113,193 children, a total of 8,355,446 were vaccinated, resulting in an overall coverage rate of 91.7 per cent. In total, at the national level, out of an estimated 18,078,907 targeted children, 16,715,115 children were vaccinated, achieving a coverage of 92.5 per cent.
Situation in numbers
22.9 M People in need of humanitarian assistance (HNRP 2025)
12 M Children in need of humanitarian assistance (HNRP 2025)
857,000 Children under 5 expected to need treatment for severe acute malnutrition (HNRP 2025)
14.3 M People in need of humanitarian health assistance (HNRP 2025).
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF Afghanistan expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private sector donors for the contributions received. As of 30 November 2025, the Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal for 2025 requiring an overall budget of USD 1.2 billion is 70 per cent funded. UNICEF is grateful to the Asian Development Bank, as well as UNICEF’s extensive family of National Committees for new contributions awarded in November.
In addition, UNICEF wishes to reiterate its appreciation to all partners who provided funding for interventions as outlined in the HAC 2025 – including through important longer-term funding granted in previous years that continued to support implementation in 2025, namely the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank as the trustee of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund with contributions from the Kuwait Society for Relief and the Saudi Fund for Development, the European Union (Humanitarian Aid), the People and the Governments of Belgium, Canada, People’s Republic of China as well as the People of China through the UNICEF China Country Office, Denmark, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Global Partnership for Education and UNESCO, the Gates Foundation, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) administered by UN OCHA, as well as UNICEF’s extensive family of National Committees.
Moreover, UNICEF extends its special appreciation to Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the family of National Committees for UNICEF as well as private sector partners for contributing flexible resources, which continuously enable UNICEF to respond to sudden and underfunded needs.
UNICEF Afghanistan deeply appreciates the continued support by donors to the response in the country. Throughout 2025, with both humanitarian and basic human needs at dire levels, our unwavering shared commitment to the people of Afghanistan will be crucial to alleviate acute suffering and to reduce preventable deaths, particularly among children and women.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Afghanistan continued to face overlapping humanitarian crises in November 2025, driven by a protracted economic downturn, worsening food insecurity and deep structural vulnerability, recurring natural hazards (including frequent earthquakes and floods), large-scale returnee influxes, outbreaks of epidemic-prone diseases, and ongoing restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights and participation, which further deepen vulnerabilities for children and families.
In the early hours of 3 November, a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake ripped through northern Afghanistan, shaking communities from Balkh to Samangan as families slept. The epicenter was located between Khulm (Samangan) and Mazar-e-Sharif (Balkh) – close enough to the region’s largest northern city to trigger panic across neighbourhoods. The quake was felt as far as Kabul, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, forcing thousands of families to flee their homes into the freezing night. At least 25 people (12 in Balkh, 12 in Samangan, and 1 in Sar-e-Pul) were confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 injured. According to USGS PAGER, up to 110,000 people were exposed to very strong shaking2 . Initial assessments indicated that nearly 800 homes were destroyed or damaged (305 destroyed, 490 damaged) across Samangan and Balkh provinces.
Food insecurity has increased sharply. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report highlights a deepening food insecurity crisis in Afghanistan as the country enters the winter lean season. According to the analysis, food insecurity is expected to worsen significantly from November 2025 to March 2026, with approximately 17.4 million people — about 36 per cent of the population — projected to face acute food insecurity at Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse levels during this period. At the same time, drought conditions are persisting, with 12 provinces severely affected and 3.4 million people already impacted3 . In addition, the nutrition situation is forecasted to deteriorate further, as nearly 3.7 million cases of children aged 6–59 months are projected to suffer acute malnutrition between January 2025 and December 2026, with around 26 percent experiencing severe acute malnutrition. During the same period, an estimated 1.2 million cases of pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to suffer acute malnutrition. By January 2026, acute malnutrition is expected to remain stable in some provinces and slightly worsen in others, with Faryab and Paktika moving from IPC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Phase 3 (Serious) to Phase 4 (Critical). Under anticipated La Niña conditions, below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures are forecasted into early 2026. Mass cross-border returns further compound needs. By 29 November, more than 2.7 million Afghans had returned from neighbouring countries4 , placing significant pressure on host communities, basic services and livelihoods.
The results of the Joint Rapid Recovery Needs Assessment, highlight that the Eastern Region earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025 caused an estimated US$86.8 million in total damages and losses across ten assessed districts, comprising US$68.7 million in damages and US$18.1 million in losses. Geographically, the heaviest impacts were concentrated in the hardest-hit districts of Kunar province, where housing collapse rates and livelihood losses were highest. Recovery and reconstruction needs were estimated at US$128.8 million over three years, with US$59 million required in the first 12 months for early recovery interventions to prevent further impoverishment and protracted displacement.
In Afghanistan, multiple infectious disease outbreaks persisted into early November 2025, with surveillance data showing high cumulative burdens of acute respiratory infections and other epidemic-prone illnesses. Since the start of the year, around 1.18 million cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) - pneumonia have been reported, with 2,491 associated deaths (CFR ~0.2 per cent), particularly affecting children under five, and influenza activity present at sentinel sites. Acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) with dehydration continued to be reported, with 151,451 suspected cases and 74 deaths (CFR ~0.05 per cent) reported from 352 districts, showing a stabilization trend in late 2025. Suspected measles cases reached 95,019 with 537 deaths (CFR ~0.6 per cent), although the recent trend has declined following nationwide immunization efforts. A notable dengue fever outbreak was observed with 4,384 suspected cases (no deaths), primarily in eastern provinces and climbing in recent weeks. COVID-19 transmission remained at lower levels but showed increases in sample positivity, with 3,988 confirmed cases and 5 deaths since January. Other diseases such as malaria and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) continued to be monitored through the national surveillance system. Overall, these overlapping outbreaks reflect ongoing public health challenges amidst strained health services and seasonal disease patterns.