OCHA warns funding shortfall threatens aid for millions in Afghanistan

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 21.9 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance this year, and a funding shortfall has seriously complicated efforts to meet those needs.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, OCHA said on X that if financial resources are not secured in time, aid operations will face even greater challenges. The agency stressed that the impact of the funding shortage is already being felt across different sectors.

According to OCHA, by the end of August only 29.7% of the $1.71 billion needed for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan had been secured. This comes as needs remain high.

A few days earlier, OCHA had also reported a funding deficit of more than $150 million to support returnees, vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters and internally displaced people.

The UN humanitarian coordination office is one of the key bodies coordinating emergency aid in crises, and its reports are usually used as the basis for aid planning in Afghanistan.