UN Warns Afghan Cities Unprepared for Rapid Urban Population Growth
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has warned that Afghan cities are ill-equipped to handle the country’s rapidly growing urban population. The agency reports that while only 5% of Afghanistan’s population lived in cities in 1950, this figure rose to 25% by 2022 and is projected to reach 50% by 2060.
UN-Habitat stressed that this rapid demographic shift, if not managed properly, could result in new urban crises. The increase in urban population is expected to bring significant challenges related to housing, public services, environmental impact, and infrastructure.
Currently, the Taliban administration—which controls much of the country—lacks comprehensive and effective plans for managing urban expansion. Inadequate management capacity, financial constraints, and a lack of cooperation from specialized agencies have led to a disorganized and problematic urban development process.
UN-Habitat warned that without urgent and fundamental measures to improve urban conditions, Afghanistan risks losing the potential benefits of urbanization—such as economic growth, improved social services, and enhanced quality of life—and instead may face emerging crises.
