UNICEF: Six Million People in Afghanistan Received Essential Health Services
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in its latest report that more than six million people across Afghanistan received essential health services in July 2026 alone, an effort carried out amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and mounting pressure on the country’s health system.
According to UNICEF, these services were provided in areas that in recent weeks and months have been hit by severe floods, successive earthquakes, disease outbreaks and the forced return of migrants. The agency said health infrastructure in these areas has been badly damaged, making it harder for people to access basic services.
UNICEF added that Afghanistan faced several simultaneous crises during this period, ranging from economic pressures and social restrictions to severe food insecurity and rising cases of malnutrition among children. Based on the agency’s estimates, around 21.9 million people in Afghanistan, including 11.6 million children, will need humanitarian assistance in 2026.
In part of the report, UNICEF also pointed to the impact of restrictions on women and girls, saying limits imposed on their education, work and social participation have made access to basic services more difficult. The agency warned that this situation has made women and girls more vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and violence.
UNICEF also stressed that continuing to provide health services and support for vulnerable children and families, especially in areas affected by natural disasters and waves of returning migrants, remains one of Afghanistan’s critical needs. The agency warned that without sufficient funding and continued international support, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan could worsen in the coming months.
UNICEF is among the main relief agencies for children in humanitarian crises and operates in Afghanistan in the areas of health, nutrition, education and child protection.
