UN Warns Afghanistan’s Aid Shortfall Is Squeezing Basic Health Services

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator says funding has reached about $570 million this year as returning Afghans add to demand for already stretched services.

Editorial Staff

November 7, 2026

2–3 minutes

Afghan Returnees, Afghanistan, Food Insecurity, Humanitarian aid, UNAMA, United Nations, women’s rights

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator says funding has reached about $570 million this year as returning Afghans add to demand for already stretched services.

A broad view of Kabul’s buildings spreading across a valley beneath brown hills. — An archival view of Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph by Farid Ershad / Unsplash.

Afghanistan’s humanitarian response faces a worsening funding squeeze, the United Nations’ senior aid coordinator in the country said on Friday. Bruno Lemarquis told reporters that about $570 million had come in so far in 2026, compared with roughly $1 billion in 2025 and $2 billion in 2023. The 2026 figure covers the year to date.

Lemarquis said about 700 of the country’s 1,900 primary health posts were expected to close over the course of 2025 and 2026. The projection illustrates how funding shortages reach households. When a nearby clinic closes, a routine visit can require travel that costs time and money, with the heaviest burden falling on people who have few alternatives.

Returns put pressure on receiving communities

About 6.7 million Afghans have returned since 2020, Lemarquis said, with many forced to leave neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran. Some arrived with little familiarity with Afghanistan after living abroad for years. He highlighted the need for legal documentation, protection and work alongside immediate assistance.

A UN and NGO plan published in May sets out two stages of help. It provides for emergency support at border crossings and for longer-term reintegration in 35 priority districts. The plan includes both returning families and the communities receiving them, where schools, health care and housing are already under strain.

Restrictions complicate access

Lemarquis said that more than 2.6 million girls had been denied secondary education since 2021. He also said a ban introduced in September 2025 on Afghan women staff entering UN premises remained in place. Limits on education and employment constrict household incomes and the pool of women able to deliver essential services.

The UN’s humanitarian plan for 2026 estimated that 21.9 million people would need some form of assistance during the year. It identified displacement, drought and food insecurity among the overlapping pressures, alongside restrictions affecting women and girls. The estimate covers a broader population than the separate programme for returnees.

Agencies face rising demand in 2027

Lemarquis warned that returning populations, regional instability and weather risks could intensify humanitarian needs next year. For aid agencies, the approaching decision is where to keep services running with less money. For returning families, access to documentation and a reliable income will help determine whether the support they receive at the border can translate into a durable place to live.