Afghanistan facing one of world’s largest displacement crises, UN warns

Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s largest displacement crises as poverty, climate shocks and the return of millions of Afghans continue to place enormous pressure on communities already struggling to recover from decades of conflict, the United Nations warned on Monday.

According to the latest socioeconomic review by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Afghanistan’s fragile economy, prolonged humanitarian challenges, recurring natural disasters and the return of approximately 2.7 million Afghans are stretching livelihoods and public services across the country.

The report also highlights the impact of prolonged drought, devastating earthquakes and declining participation of women in the economy as additional factors slowing the country’s recovery.

“In Afghanistan, crises rarely happen one at a time,” said UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo, who is visiting the country alongside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, to meet returnee communities, humanitarian partners and Afghan authorities.

The officials said the visit underscores the United Nations’ commitment to supporting long-term recovery and helping displaced families rebuild their lives.

The UN estimates that nearly 74 percent of Afghanistan’s population – around 29 million people – are unable to meet their basic needs, making the country one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.

During their visit, De Croo and Salih met communities affected by recent earthquakes in Jalalabad before travelling to the Sutan Valley, where reconstruction projects are helping families recover from natural disasters.

The recovery programme includes flood protection and irrigation schemes that provide employment while reducing future disaster risks. Women have been producing wire mesh used in protective barriers, while men manufacture bricks for flood-control structures designed to safeguard farmland and villages.

“Emergency aid saves lives. Development gives people their lives back,” De Croo said.

The officials also highlighted progress made through a UN Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan initiative aimed at supporting returnees, internally displaced people and host communities in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.

The programme has already cleared more than 6,400 square metres of land contaminated by mines, launched dozens of community infrastructure projects and identified hundreds of households requiring permanent housing in areas with large numbers of returning families.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it continues to strengthen protection for Afghans on migration routes while expanding opportunities for legal resettlement, education, employment and family reunification for those unable to return home safely.

UNHCR estimates that more than 570,000 Afghans will require resettlement opportunities during 2026.

Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crises after more than four decades of conflict, economic instability and repeated natural disasters.