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.
