OCHA says 21.9 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian aid

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that 21.9 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance, while only 31% of the funding required to address the situation had been secured by mid-September.

In a post on its X account on Tuesday, Sept. 31, and on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, OCHA said a funding shortfall has made it difficult to respond to humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.

The agency stressed that timely and flexible financial support is essential to continue aid operations in Afghanistan. According to OCHA, securing this funding is crucial to preventing the humanitarian situation in the country from worsening.

OCHA is the United Nations agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid and regularly monitors humanitarian needs and aid delivery in crisis-hit countries, including Afghanistan.