WHO warns Afghanistan faces a severe health crisis as 22 million need aid, funding gaps shut clinics, and mass refugee returns threaten to overwhelm fragile systems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Afghanistan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with more than 22 million of the country’s 46 million people in urgent need of assistance. The country’s health system, already fragile, is now on the verge of collapse.

In its latest report released Thursday, WHO said over 16 million Afghans have been targeted for life-saving aid this year, yet only 24 percent of required funding has been secured. The shortfall has left millions without access to critical support.

The funding crisis has forced the closure of more than 420 health facilities, cutting off nearly three million people from essential medical services. Vulnerable groups, including women and children, have been hit hardest by these restrictions.

Adding further pressure, Afghanistan is also bracing for large-scale returns of migrants. According to the report, over one million people are expected to return from Pakistan and up to two million from Iran in 2025. So far, more than 836,000 Afghans have already returned, 92 percent of them from Iran.

The looming crisis underscores how inadequate international funding is worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian emergency. Without urgent support, millions could face preventable deaths from disease, hunger, and lack of medical care.

WHO has urged the global community to step up aid contributions, warning that failure to act will deepen suffering and destabilize an already vulnerable country.