UNICEF has announced that Afghanistan is facing a series of interconnected crises, including natural disasters, a fragile economy, and limited access to basic services. In 2026, an estimated 21.9 million people — including 11.6 million children — will require humanitarian assistance. In a report released today (Tuesday, Dec 16), the organization said that the protection crisis is deepening. Women of reproductive age, children, adolescents, and marginalized groups are facing increasing risks, and as conditions worsen, UNICEF’s continued presence to deliver essential services and protect the most vulnerable people is vital. The United Nations Children’s Fund stated that in 2026 it will require USD 949.1 million to assist 12 million people, including 6.5 million children, in Afghanistan. The report notes that this funding is critical to ensuring that every child in Afghanistan has the opportunity to survive and thrive. With this budget, life-saving assistance and essential services will be provided to children and vulnerable people, urgent humanitarian needs will be addressed, and community resilience will be strengthened. UNICEF further emphasized that the child protection crisis in Afghanistan is deepening, with women of reproductive age, children, young people, and marginalized groups facing growing risks. In another section of the report, UNICEF added that women and girls in Afghanistan are facing a systematic crisis of their rights. Bans on their education and employment, along with widespread restrictions on daily life, have increased protection risks and are threatening long-term resilience. The United Nations Children’s Fund also stressed that chronic underinvestment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), compounded by relentless climate shocks, has intensified humanitarian needs and weakened community resilience. UNICEF said that under these conditions, its continued presence to deliver essential services and protect the most vulnerable people is critical. It should be noted that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had previously stated that 21.9 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance in the coming year. OCHA said that humanitarian organizations have prioritized assisting 17.5 million people and have appealed for USD 1.72 billion in funding to support them.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced that an estimated 17.4 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face acute hunger during the winter season. In a report released the organization said that food assistance in Afghanistan is limited and currently reaches only 2.7 percent of the country’s population. The FAO further emphasized that the food security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating with the onset of winter. According to the organization, economic difficulties have been exacerbated by the return of migrants, ongoing drought, and recent earthquakes. The United Nations stated that, based on this report, an estimated 17.4 million people — including women, children, and men — will face acute hunger during the winter. The report notes: “Prolonged economic weakening, recurring droughts, and a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance have left large segments of the population unable to meet their minimum food needs.” Previously, the World Food Programme (WFP) had said that due to funding shortfalls, it has been forced to reduce its assistance in Afghanistan from 10 million people in need to just two million. It should be noted that earthquakes, widespread drought, reduced food production, and the forced return of migrants from neighboring countries have further worsened people’s living conditions. According to United Nations statistics, 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. Children and women are the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, and with the reduction of humanitarian aid, their situation is expected to worsen. Meanwhile, the aid organization World Vision recently announced that Afghanistan ranks fourth worldwide in terms of acute child malnutrition. The organization said that about 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan suffer from acute malnutrition, around one million of whom are severely underweight. In addition, approximately 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan are also suffering from acute malnutrition. According to a report by OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, women and children have been the most affected by the hunger crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women has stated in its latest announcement that amid severe restrictions and growing threats, international solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan is of great importance. In a message posted on its X account, the agency wrote that supporting Afghan women and girls against restrictions, the reduction of services, and violations of their human rights is essential. Previously, Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said: “The strength of Afghan women and girls in the face of restrictions and violations of their rights is extraordinary, but no one should be left alone.” UN Women in Afghanistan, while emphasizing the importance of global solidarity, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the international community to stand with Afghan women. The agency further stressed that it will continue its efforts to support women’s rights and expand opportunities for them in various sectors. It is worth noting that after taking control of Afghanistan, the current authorities have deprived women and girls of education and schooling. In their latest restriction, they closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, despite the nationwide shortage of healthcare personnel across Afghanistan. This action by the current authorities has resulted in millions of female students being denied access to education. In addition, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public bathhouses, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

As the academic year comes to an end in Afghanistan, the Human Rights Activists’ Union has stated in its latest remarks that cultural genocide means silencing voices and taking awareness captive. In a message published on its X account, the organization wrote that the restrictions imposed on the education of women and girls in Afghanistan have had negative consequences and threaten the future of new generations. The Human Rights Activists’ Union emphasized in part of its message that the caretaker government in Afghanistan, by closing the doors of education, suppressing students, and erasing the cultural memory of society, is seeking to destroy the future of the community. The organization further added that the future of the younger generation can only be meaningful through knowledge, freedom, and human dignity. While the Human Rights Activists’ Union criticizes educational restrictions in Afghanistan, the current government, since taking control of the country, has deprived women and girls of education and schooling. Moreover, in its latest restriction, it has closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, despite the fact that the health sector across Afghanistan is facing a shortage of personnel. This action by the current government has resulted in millions of female students being deprived of education. In addition, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian (mahram), and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has stated in its latest announcement that the forced return of tens of thousands of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan, along with severe droughts and recent earthquakes, has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. In a report, the organization said that about 17.4 million people—nearly 36 percent of Afghanistan’s total population—are facing acute food insecurity, and many families are unable to meet their basic living needs. The Norwegian Refugee Council further emphasized that the large-scale return of Afghan migrants to areas already suffering from extreme poverty and vulnerability has placed enormous pressure on the limited resources of these communities, putting the lives of millions at risk. In another part of its report, the Council warned that consecutive droughts and recent devastating earthquakes in eastern and northern Afghanistan have destroyed people’s assets and agricultural land, further weakening their economic capacity. The NRC also stressed that, with the approach of winter, the international community must urgently send assistance to Afghanistan to prevent widespread hunger. Iran and Pakistan have intensified the process of forcibly deporting migrants to Afghanistan. Pakistan, following recent tensions with the Taliban-led interim government of Afghanistan, has further increased the arrest and forced deportation of migrants. According to a United Nations report, from September 2023 to September 2025, more than 4.5 million migrants have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan.

The organization Women for Afghanistan has recently announced that Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will name a room after Afghan women and girls. In a statement, the organization said that Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, made this announcement at the “Listen to Us” meeting. The Spanish foreign minister emphasized that the room will be named in honor of the struggle and resistance of Afghan women and girls. The organization further noted that this room is the same venue where the first round of the “Listen to Us” meeting was held in 2022, during which a photograph was taken of the Afghan women participants. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the organization Women for Afghanistan, hosted the “Listen to Us” meeting to follow up on mechanisms for holding the de facto authorities accountable. Women for Afghanistan also stated that around 50 women activists from Afghanistan participated in the meeting. During the meeting, Spain’s foreign minister reiterated his support for Afghan women and girls and said that his country will never recognize the current authorities. After taking control of Afghanistan, the current authorities have deprived women and girls of education. Most recently, they closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls, despite the fact that the healthcare sector across Afghanistan is facing a severe shortage of personnel. These actions by the current authorities have resulted in millions of female students being denied access to education. In addition, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian (mahram), and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has emphasized the right of women and girls in Afghanistan to access education on the occasion of Human Rights Day. In a message posted on its X account, the organization stated that Afghan girls and women have been deprived of education for more than four years. UNICEF stressed in its message that education is the right of all women and girls and is essential for their growth, health, and protection. At the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, UNICEF also called for the voices of adolescent girls in Afghanistan to be heard, adding that their voices are often ignored. This comes as the current government, after taking control of Afghanistan, has barred women and girls from education. In its most recent restriction, it closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls, even though the health sector across Afghanistan is facing a shortage of personnel. This action by the current authorities has left millions of school-aged girls deprived of learning and education. Additionally, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public bathhouses, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international NGOs — and even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, warned about the decline in aid to people in need in Afghanistan, saying that 1.7 million children are at risk of death. Fletcher made these remarks during a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, stating that the severe reduction in funding has pushed humanitarian aid efforts in Afghanistan into a major crisis, and that this winter will be the first winter almost without food distribution. He emphasized that the number of aid recipients has decreased from 5.6 million people last year to one million this year. According to him, 1.1 million children have been deprived of lifesaving nutrition, as 305 nutrition service centers have been closed. The UN official further warned that out of 3.7 million children in need of nutritional support, 1.7 million are at risk of death if they do not receive treatment. He added that 422 health centers were closed in 2025, leaving three million people without access to essential healthcare. Fletcher called on donors to continue their support for Afghanistan. He noted that nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan will need assistance in 2026, placing the country third after Sudan and Yemen. Fletcher said: “Our appeal is for $1.7 billion to target 17.5 million people. But in response to funding realities, we have further prioritized our plan to target 3.9 million people who are in urgent need of lifesaving assistance.” He also stated that, for the first time in four years, the number of people facing hunger has increased, now reaching 17.4 million. According to him, essential services — which were already insufficient and inconsistent — have reached a point of collapse due to the unprecedented return of migrants.

The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization has stated that attacks by ISIS–Khorasan Province against Hazaras and Shia communities in Afghanistan may, under international law, amount to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In a newly published investigative report, the organization says it has examined ISIS attacks on Hazaras and Shias in Afghanistan since 2016. According to the report, ISIS–Khorasan refers to Hazaras as “apostates” and “rejectors” and targets them in educational, health, sports, and religious centers. The report notes that from 2015 to 2020, ISIS–Khorasan carried out 21 suicide attacks, and from 2021 to 2024, three suicide attacks against Hazaras and Shias. The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization further emphasizes that between 2015 and 2020 this group carried out 14 bombings, and from 2021 to 2024 it conducted 54 bombing attacks against Hazaras and Shias. The organization says ISIS–Khorasan consistently uses hate speech and terms such as “rejector, polytheist, infidel, and apostate” against Hazaras, using this language to justify its attacks and its “intent to commit genocide.” The report cites, for example, that after killing 14 Hazaras on the Daikundi–Ghor border, ISIS wrote in one of its publications: “Many still ask why the mujahideen of the Islamic State specifically target Shias and Rawafid in their operations and turn their cities into graveyards. Therefore, we want to clarify to all Muslims that the intensity of our operations has only one reason: our enmity with all infidels and apostates… Shias and Rawafid… they are the worst apostates in the world.” The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization writes that despite the severity of the crimes, the sectarian violence of ISIS–Khorasan against Hazara and Shia communities has received limited study. It is worth noting that in recent years Hazaras and Shias have been targeted in deadly terrorist attacks. These attacks have mostly occurred in educational centers, mosques, wedding halls, sports stadiums, hospitals, and city buses, targeting Hazara civilians—including schoolgirls and schoolboys.

Stephen Rodriguez, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representative in Afghanistan, has stated that Afghanistan will not experience growth as long as half of its population (women and girls) is excluded from economic activities. Mr. Rodriguez made these remarks today (Wednesday, December 10) on the occasion of Human Rights Day, warning that depriving Afghan women and girls of their rights will have negative consequences for the country’s future. He further emphasized that removing women and girls from the labor market directly impacts Afghanistan’s economic future. He added: “Excluding women from work could reduce Afghanistan’s GDP by around one billion dollars between 2024 and 2026.” Stephen Rodriguez made these comments while the current authorities, since taking control of Afghanistan, have banned women and girls from education and schooling. In their latest restriction, they closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls—even as the health sector across Afghanistan faces a shortage of personnel. This action by the current authorities has left millions of female students unable to pursue education. In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a mahram, and working in national and international NGOs, as well as even at United Nations offices inside Afghanistan.