UK pledges 315 million pounds in aid for Afghanistan over next three years

The United Kingdom has pledged £315 million ($425 million) in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan over the next three years, reaffirming its long-term commitment to supporting Afghans amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

In a statement on Thursday, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hamish Falconer, said the UK will provide £105 million annually from 2026 to 2029, making Afghanistan one of Britain’s largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients during that period.

Falconer said nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance this year, including 17.4 million facing acute food insecurity. He added that almost 5 million women, girls and boys are expected to need treatment for malnutrition in 2026, while drought, floods, economic fragility and regional instability continue to deepen the humanitarian crisis.

The UK said its funding will focus on life-saving health and nutrition services, education, protection for vulnerable people, livelihood support and climate resilience. It also plans to increase cooperation with Afghan partners that are not affiliated with the Islamic Emirate to support locally led initiatives, including assistance for Afghans returning from neighboring countries.

Falconer said women and girls will remain at the center of the UK’s aid strategy, stressing that Britain will continue to prioritize their rights and aims to ensure that at least half of all people reached by UK-funded assistance are women and girls.

He said the IEA’s restrictions on women and girls, including limits on education, employment and participation in public life, continue to undermine fundamental freedoms and pose a major obstacle to Afghanistan’s long-term development and stability.

According to the statement, UK-funded humanitarian programs supported at least 2.7 million people during the 2024/25 financial year, including more than 1.7 million women and girls.

The UK said it will continue working with international donors, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, to help finance essential services, particularly healthcare, while supporting broader international efforts to address Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs.