OCHA: Over 10.7M Women, Girls in Afghanistan Need Humanitarian Assistance

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described women and girls in Afghanistan as among the most vulnerable groups affected by the country’s humanitarian crisis in a newly released report.

According to OCHA, more than 10.7 million women and girls in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance this year.

The report also says Afghanistan’s healthcare system is under significant strain and that the country continues to have the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. It identifies the shortage of female healthcare workers, funding cuts, limited access to essential medicines, and inadequate emergency obstetric care as key factors contributing to preventable maternal and newborn deaths. OCHA stressed the urgent need for sustained investment in Afghanistan’s health sector, particularly in maternal and newborn healthcare services.

The report states: “During discussions with health partners and hospital staff, OCHA observed significant pressure on the facility’s ability to sustain essential maternal and neonatal health services. Health workers highlighted that many women arrive at the hospital only after serious complications have developed. Delays in seeking care, long travel distances and limited referral capacity from rural areas, remain major barriers to timely treatment. For women living in isolated communities, reaching emergency obstetric can require several hours of travel on dilapidated roads, reducing the likelihood of timely intervention when complications arise.

Najm-ul-Sama Shafajo, head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Association, said: “There is a great need for more female doctors. Our request to society and the entire country is to increase the number of female physicians and ensure they are well qualified.”

Elsewhere in the report, OCHA warned that continued restrictions on girls’ education could lead to future shortages of female doctors, nurses, and midwives. Citing UNICEF estimates, the report says that if current restrictions remain in place, Afghanistan could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030.

Healthcare professionals in Afghanistan have also emphasized the need to increase the number of female doctors and midwives and to establish more health centers in remote areas.

Midwife Zarifa Stanikzai said: “There is a serious need for female doctors in the districts, and there is already a shortage. Many women have completed seven years of medical education, but because they have not been allowed to take the exit examination, they are unable to work.”

Healthcare worker Tahmina Qaderi said: “Families living in villages without access to health centers should be provided with local healthcare facilities so they can easily receive medical services.”

Earlier, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean reported that nearly 150 health facilities in Afghanistan had closed due to funding shortages in 2026. The official also said that more than 22 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance, including 14.4 million people who require healthcare services.