UN Report: $1.7 Billion Needed to Assist 21 Million Afghans
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has presented a report to the UN Security Council on the situation and humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.
The report states that the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan includes an appeal for $1.71 billion to provide prioritized, life-saving assistance to 17.5 million people out of the 21.9 million identified as being in need.
The report also mentions an increase in Pakistani air and missile strikes on Afghanistan.
It states: “Heightened hostilities along both sides of the Durand Line with Pakistan, including artillery shelling, air strikes and drone activity, have resulted in civilian casualties and damage to property.”
Guterres added that according to reports by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), although opium poppy cultivation has declined significantly across the country since the ban on cultivation was implemented in 2023, its concentration has shifted from the south-west to the north-east of the country.
The new UN report notes that although Afghanistan is experiencing relative stability, humanitarian, political and socioeconomic challenges are increasing. Declining international assistance, large-scale returns of migrants, natural disasters and regional trade disruptions have further intensified the difficulties faced by the Afghan people.
The report stresses that restrictions on women and girls violate human rights and hinder Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international system.
It also calls for the immediate lifting of the ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.
The United Nations further stated that restrictions on Afghan women’s employment are affecting the organization’s operations and urged authorities to allow female staff to return to work.
The report also describes the large-scale return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries as a major challenge, as many returnees face difficulties related to housing, employment and documentation.
