Briefing of Security CouncilGeorgette Gagnon, deputy special representative of the secretary-general for Afghanistan, and Tom Fletcher, UN emergency relief coordinator, said almost half the population will need protection and humanitarian assistance in 2026.
Women and girls remain “systematically excluded” from almost all aspects of public life, » said Ms. Gagnon, as the ban on secondary and higher education for girls is now in its fourth year, depriving the country of future doctors, teachers and leaders.
“Media freedom is increasingly restricted. Journalists face intimidation, detention and censorship, reducing space for public debate and public participation.» she added.
Afghans – women and men – also face daily intrusions under the de facto authorities’ law on “propagation of virtue and prevention of vice”, she added, describing a trend of systematic interference in privacy.
Humanitarian needs are increasing
At the same time, humanitarian needs are increasing. Mr Fletcher said almost 22 million people will need aid next year, with Afghanistan now one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
“For the first time in four years, the number of people facing hunger has increased,” He warned. Some 17.4 million Afghans are now food insecure, while massive funding cuts have left the response “stretched to the breaking point”.
More than 300 nutrition distribution points have closed, leaving 1.1 million children without life-saving nutrition, while 1.7 million of them face death without treatment. The health system is also collapsing: 422 health facilities were closed in 2025, depriving three million people of vital care.
The year 2025 saw a marked increase in the number of refugees returning to Afghanistan. Pictured here is a scene at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran.
Refugees return to poverty
To make matters worse, Afghanistan has seen record refugee returns, with more than 2.6 million Afghans returning in 2025 alone, bringing the two-year total to more than four million. Most arrive with few possessions and are absorbed into already poor communities.
“Women and children accounted for 60 percent of all returns this year,” Mr. Fletcher noted – returning to a country where women do not have access to education, work and, in some cases, health care.
Economic pressures are mounting despite modest growth. While GDP is expected to increase by 4.5 percent, per capita income will decline by about 4 percent due to population growth, according to World Bank figures cited by Ms. Gagnon.
Rural livelihoods have also been devastated by the third year of banning opium cultivation. Although praised internationally, UN agencies report a 48 percent drop in rural incomes, with additional support needed for alternative livelihoods.
Aid delivery paralyzed
While security conditions appear calmer than in previous decades, tensions with Pakistan are increasing amid cross-border exchanges linked to militant activities. At the same time, the closure of major border crossings for two months harmed trade and civilian life on both sides.
Meanwhile, women’s participation in humanitarian work remains under direct attack. Since September, female UN national staff have been barred from UN premises across the country, a restriction Mr Fletcher called “unacceptable” and warned was crippling aid delivery.
“There cannot be an effective humanitarian response without women,” he said. “Afghanistan needs it.»
A family crosses a dusty street in Herat, Afghanistan.
Rights increasingly out of reach
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (MANUA) also warned that rights in the country remain “out of reach for too many,” particularly women and girls. Involuntary returns also put journalists, former officials and civil society figures at increased risk of reprisals.
“Human rights are not optional. These are the essential elements of everyday life that support life,” Ms. Gagnon said in a separate UNAMA statement statement. “Ensuring that women and girls can learn, work and participate fully is critical to Afghanistan’s recovery. »
Call for international support
Despite serious constraints, the UN continues to provide aid. More than $40 million in emergency funds have been released in recent months to respond to earthquakes, drought and mass returns.
But Mr Fletcher warned that underfunding is now costing lives.
“By 2026, we risk seeing a further contraction in life-saving assistance at a time when food insecurity, health needs are straining basic services and protection risks are increasing.» he said.
He stressed that without urgent attention and support from the international community, the crisis would only worsen.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
