Aid group warns of deepening health crisis in Afghanistan

Millions of Afghans are being left without essential medical care amid an economic collapse, severe restrictions on women, and dwindling resources, the international aid organization Emergency warned on Wednesday, marking the fourth anniversary of the government’s fall and the withdrawal of foreign troops.

In a new report based on interviews with more than 1,600 patients, caregivers, and health workers across 11 provinces, Emergency found that over 70% of the population lacks access to free or affordable healthcare.

The group says the country’s health system is under unprecedented strain, with 22.9 million people—more than half the population—now requiring humanitarian assistance.

“The combination of damaged infrastructure, sweeping human rights restrictions, and limited medical access has turned Afghanistan into a post-war survival test,” said Dejan Panic, Emergency’s country director.

The report cites particularly severe conditions in Panjshir’s Anabah district, where restrictions on women’s movement have delayed treatment for female patients, in some cases leading to preventable deaths. Training medical staff—especially women—remains a priority, with women currently making up 23% of Emergency’s workforce.

Emergency, which has operated in Afghanistan since 1999, runs three surgical centers in Kabul, Lashkar Gah, and Anabah; a maternity hospital in Panjshir; and more than 40 first-aid and primary healthcare posts nationwide.

The organization warns that without urgent international support, access to healthcare will deteriorate further, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis. It has called on the global community to uphold healthcare as a protected and fundamental right, even in the face of ongoing political and economic upheaval.