Afghanistan is heading into 2026 with worsening humanitarian needs as overlapping crises continue to erode essential services and protection systems, UNICEF warned in its Humanitarian Action for Children 2026 appeal.

According to the agency, 21.9 million people — including 11.6 million children — will require humanitarian assistance next year. This comes as the country remains trapped in a cycle of natural disasters, economic instability, shrinking protection space, and climate-driven shocks, all compounding the impact of more than 40 years of conflict.

UNICEF says the protection crisis is deepening, with women of reproductive age, children, youth, and marginalized groups facing heightened risks. Women and girls remain disproportionately affected due to bans on secondary education and restrictions on employment, which the agency describes as a “systemic rights crisis” with severe long-term consequences.

The report also highlights chronic underinvestment in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems, made worse by recurring drought, floods, and harsh winters. These compounding pressures are undermining community resilience and increasing dependency on humanitarian aid.

To meet urgent needs and reinforce community-level systems, UNICEF is appealing for $949.1 million. The funding aims to provide life-saving support to 12 million people, including 6.5 million children, through health services, education, nutrition treatment, and safe drinking water.

Key Targets for 2026

12 million people to access healthcare in priority provinces

5.7 million children to receive emergency education support

1.3 million children (6–59 months) with severe wasting or high-risk malnutrition to receive treatment

2.9 million people to gain access to safe drinking water through UNICEF-supported programmes

UNICEF underscores that sustained support is crucial to ensuring Afghan children “have the chance to survive and thrive” despite one of the world’s most complex and protracted crises.

Afghanistan’s health sector continues to face mounting pressure as humanitarian organizations respond to rising disease outbreaks, large-scale population movements, and the lingering impact of natural disasters, according to the Afghanistan Health Cluster’s October 2025 bulletin issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite severe funding gaps and operational restrictions, 54 Health Cluster partners provided lifesaving health services to 512,679 people across all 34 provinces during the month.

Assistance was delivered through 862 health facilities in 310 districts, underscoring both the scale of need and the continued reliance on humanitarian actors to keep essential services running.

Between 1 September and 31 October, 25 Health Cluster partners supported the health response in Afghanistan’s eastern region — an area heavily affected by mass return movements from Pakistan and Iran.

In October alone, 15 partners provided health services to earthquake-affected populations, while 139,285 returnees were reached during the two-month period, including:

• 35,957 women
• 26,897 men
• 38,722 girls
• 37,659 boys

Humanitarian agencies warn that the influx of returnees, many with urgent health needs, is straining already fragile health infrastructure.

Disease outbreaks rising sharply

The bulletin highlights multiple disease outbreaks, with several conditions showing alarming increases in October:

• Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) with dehydration: 15,460 cases
• Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI)/Pneumonia: 118,090 cases and 197 deaths
• A 54.5% spike compared to September (76,430 cases)
• Measles: 3,721 cases
• Dengue fever: 1,826 cases
• Malaria: 15,253 cases (a 9.5% decrease from September’s 16,846 cases)
• Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF): 120 cases

Measles and ARI outbreaks remain particularly concerning amid low vaccination coverage, harsh winter conditions, and limited access to primary healthcare.

Coordination and support strengthened

To streamline humanitarian health operations, 35 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were reviewed in October, with 15 approved by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). Approvals are crucial for NGOs to maintain legal access and operate medical facilities across the country.

Emergency supplies distributed

As part of emergency preparedness efforts, WHO delivered 951 emergency medical kits to 114 health facilities in 26 provinces, enough to support an estimated 928,050 people for the next three months.

A health system under strain

Afghanistan’s healthcare system remains heavily dependent on humanitarian aid following years of conflict, economic collapse, and reduced international funding since 2021.

Recurrent border closures, harsh winter conditions, rising displacement, and ongoing outbreaks continue to drive up humanitarian needs.

The Health Cluster warns that without sustained support, essential services — particularly maternal and child health, vaccination coverage, and emergency response — risk severe disruption.

The October bulletin underscores both the immense challenges facing Afghanistan’s health sector and the critical role aid agencies play in sustaining basic health services for millions.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) marked Human Rights Day with a renewed call for the protection of fundamental freedoms, stressing that human rights are “everyday essentials” necessary for dignity, opportunity, and security.

Highlighting this year’s global theme, UNAMA underscored that human rights are not abstract ideals but the conditions that allow people to live meaningful lives — including the rights to education, health, work, expression, and participation in society. The Mission warned that these basic rights remain inaccessible for many Afghans.

Women and girls, UNAMA noted, continue to face severe restrictions on schooling, employment, and public life, undermining both their rights and the country’s long-term prospects. Uneven access to healthcare has further weakened families and communities.

The Mission also raised concern over the growing number of Afghans being involuntarily returned from abroad. It said certain groups — including women, former government and security officials, civil society members, and journalists — remain at heightened risk of reprisals and other rights violations.

UNAMA stressed that Afghanistan’s authorities must take steps to align with international human rights obligations, calling this not only a legal duty but a practical path toward peace and development.

Protecting rights, the Mission said, builds public trust, promotes inclusion, and enables Afghans to contribute to national recovery.

“Human rights are not optional. They are the everyday essentials that sustain life,” said Georgette Gagnon, Officer in Charge of UNAMA and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General. “Ensuring women and girls can learn, work, and participate fully is indispensable to recovery.”

Fiona Frazer, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan, reiterated that the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — adopted 77 years ago — remain vital. “Everyday essentials—education, health, livelihoods, and freedom—are rights that must be afforded to all Afghans. Yet too many are denied them.”

On Human Rights Day, UNAMA called on Afghanistan’s authorities, communities, and international partners to uphold human rights as the foundation for the country’s path toward stability and hope.