Over 200 health centers close across Afghanistan due to donor funding cuts: WHO

More than 200 humanitarian health centers across Afghanistan have been forced to shut down due to a halt in international aid, severely disrupting healthcare services for over 1.8 million people in 28 provinces, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in its March update.

According to the WHO, as of March 25, 2025, a total of 202 health facilities have either been suspended or closed following the cuts in funding provided by humanitarian partners.

The closures include 108 mobile health and nutrition teams, 33 family health clinics, 20 basic health centers, 22 sub-health centers, and 19 other health facilities.

The organization warns that if funding gaps persist, up to 80% of WHO-supported health facilities in Afghanistan could face closure by June 2025, putting millions more at risk of losing access to essential healthcare services.

“The disruption is expected to impact around 1.8 million individuals in 28 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces,” the report stated.

It also highlighted that the number of suspended or closed centers may change weekly depending on the availability of donor funding.

WHO has urgently appealed to international donors to support the restoration of critical health services and help prevent further deterioration of the public health situation in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, officials from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have consistently emphasized that humanitarian aid should not be politicized, and have reiterated that the Afghan

population remains in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

This recent wave of closures follows a previous shutdown of 167 health facilities in 25 provinces, which had already cut off access to vital healthcare for 1.6 million people due to similar funding shortfalls.