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UN urges donors to keep up critical support for Afghanistan
The appeal comes ahead of meetings in Istanbul this week of the Afghanistan Coordination Group
The United Nations in Afghanistan has called on the international donor community to maintain critical support for the 22.9 million Afghan people in need of assistance this year.
According to a statement issued by the organization on Monday, the only way for the Afghan people to escape the cycle of poverty and suffering is for their urgent needs to be addressed.
The appeal for the country, which is the world’s second-largest humanitarian crisis today, comes ahead of meetings in Istanbul this week of the Afghanistan Coordination Group (ACG), which brings together Member State donor representatives, International Financial Institutions and the UN in Afghanistan.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan said in the statement: “If we want to help the Afghan people escape the vicious cycle of poverty and suffering, we must continue to have the means to address urgent needs while simultaneously laying the groundwork for long-term resilience and stability.
“Despite complex challenges in delivering assistance to the Afghan people, we must continue to make the gradual transition from life-saving assistance to sustainable solutions that address the root causes of vulnerability. This is critical for Afghanistan, the region, and the world ,” he said.
In 2024, humanitarian and basic human needs partners raised a collective $3.21 billion in support of the Afghan people, exceeding funding levels of the previous year.
Contributions by donors enabled the UN and its partners to deliver concrete results in life-saving humanitarian assistance, sustain essential services and strengthen the resilience of Afghans, including women and girls, as highlighted in the UN’s Annual Results Report for Afghanistan for 2024, released to coincide with the ACG meeting.
The UN warned however that the global funding crisis and its dramatic impact on humanitarian and basic human needs programmes could jeopardize the fragile improvements achieved in stabilizing Afghanistan over the last four years, such as improved food security levels and moderate economic growth.
“Failure to maintain a minimum investment in resilience may lead to negative coping mechanisms of Afghans, including irregular migration as a last resort, exposing them to serious risks and placing additional strain on the region,” the UN stated.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on Tuesday denied that IEA authorities detained Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman the US claims disappeared in Kabul four years ago.
“We have no information about Mahmood Shah Habibi. He is not with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. If he were, this issue would have been resolved long ago,” Mujahid said.
His remarks came a day after the FBI marked the fourth anniversary of Habibi’s disappearance and renewed its appeal for information about his whereabouts.
According to the FBI, Habibi disappeared near his home in Kabul on August 10, 2022. At the time, he was working as a consultant for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company. He had previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation.
The FBI has alleged that Habibi was detained by the IEA’s General Directorate of Intelligence.
The FBI has continued its investigation and in 2025 released a missing-persons poster for Habibi. The U.S. State Department has also offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.
Afghanistan’s Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharei says the reclamation of state-owned land seized by land grabbers is a legal matter and should not be linked to ethnicity, religion or language.
Sharei, who also heads the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing, made the remarks at a meeting with officials and representatives of charitable organizations in Kabul.
He said the commission is legally and religiously obligated to enforce rulings issued by the special court handling cases involving seized state land. Once the court determines that a disputed plot belongs to the state, the commission must enforce the decision, he said.
Sharei said the special court bases its rulings on documents, evidence and the law, adding that legal principles must be applied equally to all parties.
The justice minister also called on charitable organizations to work toward establishing a nationwide union and to expand their activities into fundamental and infrastructure projects.
He urged charities to avoid photographing or filming people while distributing aid, saying such practices could undermine the dignity of those receiving assistance.
Representatives of charitable organizations raised concerns over taxes, customs procedures and lengthy administrative processes. The Ministry of Justice said it would work to address the issues following the establishment of a nationwide union.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Monday Afghanistan is facing a deep humanitarian, economic and climate crisis, while NATO countries have forgotten their promises to support the Afghan people.
In a statement marking five years since Western troops and diplomats left Afghanistan, the NRC said millions of Afghan civilians are struggling with worsening humanitarian conditions as international aid continues to decline.
According to the NRC, more than six million Afghans have returned from neighboring countries since late 2023, adding to the pressure on communities already affected by climate shocks, regional tensions and restrictions on women and girls.
“NATO countries have forgotten their solemn promises to Afghan girls and boys and turned their backs on Afghan civilians,” NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said.
He warned that declining humanitarian funding is forcing aid organizations to reduce food, water, shelter and medical assistance for vulnerable Afghan families.
The NRC said millions of returnees are facing an uncertain future and are having to rebuild their lives from scratch. Up to 73 percent of returnees remain unemployed, with very few opportunities to earn a living.
“Shelter and livelihood support remain among the most critical needs of returnees,” Egeland said, adding that many families are struggling to find adequate housing and provide food for their children.
Afghan authorities have planned to distribute land to returnees as a key part of the response to their needs. However, the NRC said the large number of returnees, complicated land distribution procedures, limited investment and a lack of basic services are making reintegration difficult.
The NRC also warned that funding for Afghanistan’s humanitarian response has fallen sharply. The country’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was nearly 96 percent funded in 2021, but funding dropped to 42 percent in 2025. So far this year, only 26 percent of the required funding has been provided.
The NRC called on the international community to increase development investment in Afghanistan and support long-term solutions and recovery.
It also urged international actors to engage with Afghan authorities to ensure that political issues do not prevent vulnerable communities from receiving humanitarian assistance and basic services.
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