The United Nations has announced that in the first three months of 2026, over 500,000 migrants have been returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, and it is expected that an additional 2.7 million will be expelled by the end of this year. In a report released the organization stated that between April and the end of December, 1.6 million migrants will be expelled from Iran and another 1.1 million from Pakistan to Afghanistan. The report noted that responsible agencies have requested a budget of $529.2 million to address the urgent needs and integration of this number of returnees. The United Nations has warned in part of its report that such a large-scale return poses significant humanitarian and developmental challenges for Afghanistan. Additionally, the report mentioned that from September 2023 to April 2026, 5.8 million migrants from Iran and Pakistan will be expelled to Afghanistan. It stated that with the return of this number of migrants, the country's population has increased by approximately 10 to 12 percent. This comes as last year alone, 2.9 million migrants returned or were expelled due to intensified policies in Iran and Pakistan regarding migrants. According to estimates by the United Nations, the number of returnees to Afghanistan this year is expected to exceed last year's figures, reaching 3.2 million. Reports indicate that women and children make up 50 percent of the returning migrant population. The report also highlighted that migrants face serious challenges in accessing shelter, healthcare, and education upon their return to Afghanistan.

The United Nations Population Fund has recently announced that 15,000 women and girls in Afghanistan are afflicted with obstetric fistula. In a message published on its X account to mark the "International Day to End Fistula," the organization stated that Afghanistan ranks fifth in the world for the prevalence of this condition. The UN Population Fund emphasized that this disease leads to disability and social isolation. The announcement noted that prevention and treatment require healthcare services, safe surgical procedures, and access to essential medical supplies. It is important to mention that obstetric fistula is a severe injury resulting from prolonged and difficult labor, causing chronic health problems, social stigma, and uncontrollable leakage of urine or feces. Many women who develop obstetric fistula after childbirth are unable to work and face severe psychological pressures. They often suffer in silence due to shame, limited access to specialized services, and a lack of awareness about the possibility of treatment. Additionally, the World Health Organization recently reported that the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan stands at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births. This comes at a time when the interim government has imposed extensive restrictions on women's access to healthcare services since regaining control over Afghanistan, and in some provinces, treatment for female patients without a male guardian has been prohibited.

Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, states that the full participation of women and girls is essential for the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan's future. Mr. Lindsay has traveled to Kabul, where he met with officials from the interim government and numerous women and representatives from civil society. He emphasized the UK's support for Afghan women and girls, particularly in the areas of education and social participation. During these meetings, he highlighted that advancing the security, welfare, and participation of Afghan women and girls remains a key priority for the UK in Afghanistan. The UK’s Special Envoy also expressed his concerns regarding humanitarian aid that has been halted due to the closed borders in Pakistan. He warned that these delays have put over one million mothers and children in Afghanistan at risk of malnutrition, leading to widespread humanitarian consequences. He called for efforts to reopen border crossings for humanitarian aid and stressed the importance of establishing a sustainable ceasefire to ensure safe and continuous access to humanitarian assistance for affected civilians. Richard Lindsay stated, "This visit was an important opportunity to hear directly from Afghan women about their experiences, challenges, and hopes for the future." The UK’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan added that the voices of Afghan women and girls should play a role in shaping the country's future and in ongoing engagement with the international community. He emphasized that "the security, welfare, and full participation of women and girls are fundamental to the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan's future. Creating opportunities for women to work and participate in all sectors is not only a matter of rights but an economic necessity for the country."

The Afghanistan Analysts Network has recently announced that women's health in Afghanistan is facing a serious crisis due to the closure of health centers, a shortage of female staff, restrictions on girls' education, and a decrease in foreign aid. In a report, the organization stated that access to healthcare for women, especially rural women, has become increasingly difficult in recent years. The closure of clinics, a lack of female doctors and midwives, and economic pressure on families have resulted in many women being unable to afford even the cost of traveling to the nearest health center. The Afghanistan Analysts Network emphasized that this situation poses a more serious threat to the future of women's health in Afghanistan, as the closure of secondary schools and universities for girls means that a new generation of female doctors, midwives, and health workers will not be trained. The report noted that starting from early 2025, the United States, which provided about 40% of aid to Afghanistan in 2024, abruptly cut its assistance. As a result of this reduction in aid, 422 health centers in Afghanistan have closed, according to the network. The network also mentioned that several other donors have reduced their assistance. Furthermore, the Afghanistan Analysts Network stated that current government restrictions on women's travel and the requirement for a male guardian in some areas to access public health centers have made it even more difficult for women to receive medical care. The report concluded that if secondary schools for girls and women's education in the health sector do not reopen, the future of women's health in Afghanistan will decline.

The World Food Programme has recently stated that severe budget cuts have significantly disrupted its aid efforts in Afghanistan, and the hunger crisis in the country is worsening. In a published report, the organization noted that last year, over 12.4 million people in Afghanistan received nutritional assistance; however, the reduction in financial resources has resulted in many needy families being excluded from the aid list. The World Food Programme further warned that a halt or further reduction in aid could push more children and mothers into acute malnutrition and make families more vulnerable to economic and climate shocks. The report highlighted that in many areas of Afghanistan, families are facing severe difficulties in securing their daily food needs, and many do not have any source of income.

The BBC World News has reported on the situation of poverty and unemployment in Ghor province, stating that families in Afghanistan are resorting to difficult choices, such as selling their children, to meet their basic needs. According to the report, Saeed Ahmad, a resident of Ghor, mentioned that after his five-year-old daughter, Shaika, suffered from appendicitis and a liver cyst and he was unable to afford her medical treatment, he had no choice but to sell her. The report states: "Saeed Ahmad had no money to pay for her treatment, so he sold his daughter to one of his relatives, and Shaika's surgery was successful. The cost was covered by the 200,000 Afghanis (approximately $3,200) he received for her." Shaika's father said: "I agreed with my relatives that they would pay for her treatment now and the remaining amount over the next five years. If I had taken all the money at once, they would have taken her immediately. Saeed expressed: "If I had money, I would never have made this decision. But I thought to myself, what if she dies without surgery? This way, at least she stays alive." The BBC report noted that men gather every dawn at a crossroads in Chahcharagh of Ghor, hoping to find work. They can only bring bread home to their families if someone comes looking for labor; however, many days they return home empty-handed. Juma Khan, 45, stated that he has only found work three days in the past six weeks, earning between 150 to 200 Afghanis per day. He said: "Three nights in a row my children went to bed hungry. My wife was crying, and so were my children. I borrowed from a neighbor to buy flour. I live in fear that my children will die from hunger." The report also highlighted an increase in child deaths in Afghanistan due to poverty and starvation. Mohammad Hashim, who lost his 14-month-old daughter a few weeks ago, told the BBC: "My child died from hunger and lack of medicine... When a child is sick and hungry, it is natural for them to die." A local elder mentioned that child mortality, primarily due to malnutrition, has "really increased" in the past two years. The BBC wrote that because there are no official records of child deaths in Ghor, they visited a local cemetery as the only witness to these events. The report stated: "We counted small and large graves separately. The number of small graves was nearly double that of large graves, indicating that twice as many children have died compared to adults." Previously, the United Nations reported on widespread shortages of water, food, healthcare services, shelter, heating, and clothing for millions of families, stating that over 80% of families are in debt. Hamidullah Fetrat, deputy spokesman for the current government, responded to the findings of this report by telling the BBC: "During 20 years of occupation, an artificial economy was created due to the influx of American dollars. After the end of the occupation, we inherited poverty, hardship, unemployment, and other problems."

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, has recently announced its support for health facilities across Afghanistan to ensure safe childbirth for women. In a statement released the organization stated that with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, it is supporting the health workers of 2,400 healthcare centers in Afghanistan. This comes at a time when Afghanistan is facing a severe shortage of healthcare workers, particularly female health workers. This situation has restricted access to timely medical services for women, especially pregnant women in remote areas. Reports indicate that many women in remote regions still face risks due to a lack of nearby healthcare facilities. It is worth noting that Afghanistan is one of the countries with a high maternal and neonatal mortality rate. The lack of medical facilities, limited access to specialized training, and the long distances from villages to healthcare centers pose serious challenges in providing services to pregnant mothers. In many areas, women give birth at home or in small clinics, and midwives often work with limited resources and without immediate access to specialized guidance.