Britain Commits £315M to Support Afghanistan Over Three Years

The United Kingdom has announced £315 million (about $424 million) in aid to support the people of Afghanistan over the next three years.

The funding comes at a time of declining global humanitarian budgets and represents one of London’s largest recent aid commitments to Afghanistan.

According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Britain will provide £105 million annually between 2026 and 2029 through international organizations to support Afghanistan.

British officials said the assistance will focus on healthcare, nutrition, education, livelihoods, support for returnees, and strengthening resilience to climate change.

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains severe and risks worsening further.

He also stressed that restrictions on the education, employment, and public participation of women and girls in Afghanistan continue to hinder the country’s long-term development and stability.

Meanwhile, UN Women, citing a survey of 74 Afghan women’s organizations, said that declining international aid, coupled with ongoing restrictions on women, has pushed organizations supporting women in Afghanistan to the brink of closure.

A female healthcare worker, expressing concern over the reduction in international assistance, said: “If funding is reduced further, we will face shortages of medicines, equipment, staff salaries, and personnel. We will be forced to significantly downsize our workforce, and as a result, families and communities will suffer once again.”

At the same time, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy welcomed Britain’s new aid commitment and called on other countries to continue providing humanitarian and development assistance to help reduce poverty and address the country’s humanitarian needs.

Abdul Latif Nazari, the ministry’s deputy minister, said: “We call on all countries to continue their humanitarian and development assistance so that we can take meaningful steps toward reducing poverty and developing Afghanistan’s economic infrastructure.”

The new aid package comes as humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned in recent months about declining international funding for Afghanistan. They estimate that 21.9 million people in the country will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, including 11 million women and girls who will depend on such support.