Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Afghanistan is among the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises this year, with funding falling sharply despite rising needs driven by mass refugee returns and worsening economic hardship, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Wednesday.
In its annual report on neglected displacement crises, the NRC said Afghanistan appeared on the list for the first time, warning that the country is receiving far less humanitarian funding than required despite millions of people remaining dependent on emergency assistance.
Jan Egeland said the decline in humanitarian funding comes as 21.9 million people require assistance and millions of Afghans continue returning from neighboring countries. He urged donors to respond before “millions more are pushed into hunger and despair.”
The NRC said the sharp reduction in funding has been driven largely by the end of U.S. humanitarian support, leaving aid agencies struggling to maintain food assistance, healthcare, shelter and other essential services across Afghanistan.
The warning comes as Afghanistan faces mounting pressure from the large-scale return of Afghan migrants deported or repatriated from Iran and Pakistan. Aid agencies say the influx is stretching already limited resources and increasing demand for housing, healthcare, employment and humanitarian assistance.
The World Bank has also warned that the return of millions of Afghans has intensified economic pressures, contributing to declining per-capita income, rising unemployment and growing strain on public services. The bank says weak private investment and limited international financing continue to constrain Afghanistan’s recovery.
The United Nations has repeatedly described Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies. U.N. agencies have warned that persistent funding shortages are forcing aid organizations to scale back life-saving programs at a time when poverty, food insecurity and climate-related challenges continue to affect millions across the country.