The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed concern over the continued ban on girls' education in Afghanistan, asking: "What does it mean to stay behind when girls are denied the opportunity to learn?" Quoting a woman from Bamyan Province, OCHA wrote: "I fear my daughter will have no future." The agency stressed that education creates hope and opportunity, emphasizing that investing in girls' education is an investment in Afghanistan's future. OCHA's remarks come as the de facto authorities, following their takeover of Afghanistan, have continued to bar women and girls from secondary and higher education. In their latest restriction, they also closed medical institutes to women and girls, despite the country's healthcare sector facing a severe shortage of personnel. The policy has left millions of Afghan girls unable to attend school or pursue higher education. In addition, women have been banned from attending sports clubs, restaurants, and public bathhouses, being treated by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working for domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as United Nations offices in Afghanistan. According to reports, if the restrictions remain in place, nearly four million girls could be deprived of education by 2030.

Hamid Karzai, the former President of Afghanistan, has expressed concern regarding a recent UNICEF report about the rise of severe malnutrition among children in the country. Mr. Karzai posted a message on his X account stating that ensuring universal education for girls and boys is a fundamental condition for reducing this crisis and improving the situation in Afghanistan. Recently, UNICEF warned that severe wasting among children has spread across 26 provinces of Afghanistan, putting 3.7 million children under the age of five at risk of acute malnutrition. Hamid Karzai called for serious attention from responsible institutions and international organizations to prevent the spread of malnutrition and ensure the health of children in Afghanistan. In his note, he emphasized that the essential condition for addressing this crisis is to provide universal education for all children and youth, including girls. Mr. Karzai wrote: "With the growth of public awareness and the training of specialized human resources, problems arising from illiteracy and lack of education can be mitigated, the economic situation of the country can improve, and the issues and needs of society can be resolved without the need for foreign assistance." This comes at a time when the interim government, after regaining power in August 2021, has banned education for girls above sixth grade, prohibited women's studies at universities, and restricted or banned their employment in many government and non-government organizations. During this period, Hamid Karzai has repeatedly called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and the lifting of educational and employment restrictions on women, deeming universal education essential for the future of Afghanistan.

The World Health Organization has recently announced that four new positive cases of poliomyelitis (polio) have been registered in Afghanistan this week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the disease in 2023 to 11. In a report, the organization stated that the new cases include two from the Behsud and Rodat districts of Nangarhar, one from the Musa Qala district of Helmand, and one from the Shindand district of Herat province. The World Health Organization further emphasized that the case registered in the Shindand district of Herat was identified through "positive contacts." According to the organization's report, this week also saw 12 environmental positive cases of polio recorded in Afghanistan, which include five cases in Kandahar, four in Nangarhar, two in Kabul, and one in Helmand. The World Health Organization noted that a total of 46 environmental positive cases of polio have been registered in Afghanistan this year. In contrast, last year, there were 21 confirmed human cases of polio and 94 environmental cases reported in Afghanistan. Currently, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio has not been eradicated. Despite ongoing vaccination campaigns against polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan, recent statistics from the organization indicate that the number of cases in Afghanistan has increased this year. According to the World Health Organization, three positive cases of polio have also been recorded in Pakistan this year.

OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, has recently announced that in 2026, more than 10.7 million women and girls in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance. In a report published the organization stated that severe restrictions on the movement, education, and employment of women and girls have significantly reduced their access to essential services. The report indicates that women and girls remain among the most vulnerable groups in the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, and widespread restrictions have exacerbated their situation. OCHA emphasized that these restrictions not only prevent women from accessing basic services but also increase protective risks and deepen existing vulnerabilities. Additionally, other humanitarian aid organizations across Afghanistan are reporting a deterioration in health indicators, rising food insecurity, and reduced access to services provided by female staff. OCHA has added that the health sector in Afghanistan is under severe pressure and continues to record one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. According to United Nations statistics, in 2024, approximately 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births were reported, the highest figure in Asia and the seventh highest globally. OCHA states that this concerning situation is the result of a combination of factors, including a severe shortage of female staff in healthcare, reduced financial resources, limited access to essential medications, and a lack of urgent reproductive health and women's services. The United Nations report highlights that challenges, particularly in rural and remote areas with limited access to healthcare services, have led to an increase in preventable deaths among mothers and newborns. In its report, the United Nations warns of a worsening situation in the future regarding the availability of female personnel in health and education sectors due to ongoing restrictions on girls' education. OCHA warns that without an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance and the lifting of existing restrictions, this crisis could have more serious and long-term consequences for the health and lives of millions of Afghan women and children.

On the 1,756th day of schools being closed to girls above the sixth grade, Afghanistan Rights Monitor criticized the continuation of this situation and emphasized that every girl has the right to education and should not be deprived of this right. In a message posted on their X account, the organization called on the international community, international organizations, and human rights institutions to stand with Afghan women and girls. It further emphasized that every girl deserves the freedom to learn and the opportunity to build her future, and no individual or authority should take this right away from her. Additionally, Afghanistan Rights Monitor noted that despite the ongoing ban on girls' education for nearly five years, many girls remain hopeful about returning to school and pursuing their dreams and goals. While Afghanistan Rights Monitor calls for the reopening of schools, the interim government has deprived women and girls of education since taking control of Afghanistan. In its latest restriction, it closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, while the health sector across Afghanistan faces a shortage of personnel. This government's action has resulted in millions of female students being deprived of education. Moreover, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, working in domestic and international NGOs, and even in UN offices in Afghanistan. According to reports, if this ban continues, nearly four million girls may be deprived of education by 2030.

OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has announced that Afghanistan continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. In a report, the agency stated that according to 2024 estimates, approximately 638 deaths per 100,000 live births have been recorded; a figure that represents the highest rate in Asia and the seventh highest globally. OCHA emphasized that the shortage of female healthcare workers, reduced financial resources, limited access to essential medicines, and inadequate emergency obstetric care services are key factors contributing to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, particularly in rural areas of Afghanistan. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that the current state of women's health crises may worsen further. OCHA cited UNICEF, stating that if current restrictions on girls' education continue, Afghanistan will lose more than 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030. This comes at a time when Afghanistan's healthcare system has faced extensive challenges for decades, including a lack of medical facilities, specialized doctors, and medications. In many remote provinces of the country, healthcare centers are still nonexistent.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, has warned that as Afghanistan approaches the peak of the hunger season, 3.7 million children under the age of five in the country are at risk of malnutrition. In a report, the organization has called for immediate action to prevent the worsening of this crisis across Afghanistan. UNICEF emphasized that food and nutrition insecurity is one of the main factors contributing to the increase in malnutrition among children in Afghanistan. The United Nations Children's Fund added that protecting the diets of young children, especially those under two years old, and strengthening preventive services should be prioritized. The report titled "Too Little, Too Late: The Crisis of Young Children's Diets in Afghanistan" states that for the first time, the status of child malnutrition and experiences of food insecurity among a common group of children across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan have been assessed simultaneously. UNICEF's findings indicate that reduced dietary diversity, skipped meals, and hunger among children are some of the early signs of entering a malnutrition crisis. According to this report, the state of malnutrition has worsened in 26 provinces of Afghanistan compared to the year 2025, and this deterioration occurred before the onset of the peak hunger season, which lasts from July to September. UNICEF states that children under two years old are the most affected, constituting 83% of severe acute malnutrition cases and 77% of moderate acute malnutrition cases. Tajuddin Owyala, UNICEF's representative in Afghanistan, mentioned that young children have been increasingly exposed to malnutrition even before the peak hunger season began. He stressed that reduced meal frequency and the elimination of nutritious foods are warning signs that need to be addressed before they lead to severe malnutrition. UNICEF has warned that the outbreak of diseases, low vaccination coverage, lack of drinking water, weak healthcare services, and reduced humanitarian aid budgets have exacerbated the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan. The organization has called on the international community to provide immediate funding to support preventive nutrition programs, especially for children aged 6 to 23 months and pregnant women, to prevent the spread of malnutrition and its deadly consequences.