Afghanistan: Humanitarian Update, December 2025
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OCHA and partners launch 2026 Afghanistan humanitarian needs and response plan
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), together with humanitarian partners, has launched the 2026 Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly half of the population –21.9 million people – projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Only Sudan and Yemen exceed Afghanistan in scale.
Food insecurity continues to be a central driver of humanitarian needs. During the 2025–2026 lean season (November 2025 – March 2026), 17.4 million people are projected to face crisis or worse food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), including 4.7 million people in emergency food insecurity (IPC Phase 4). This represents a severe deterioration from the same period last year, with emergency hunger levels rising by more than 50 per cent. The worsening food crisis is primarily driven by drought, erosion of livelihoods and population pressure from large-scale returns, compounded by chronic poverty, a stagnant economy and recurrent climate-related shocks. Over the past two years, some five million people have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, including 2.78 million in 2025 alone from Iran and Pakistan, placing further pressure on communities and essential services.
The 2026 HNRP targets 17.5 million people for assistance through a US $1.71 billion appeal and applies a severity- and shock-based prioritization model, focusing on districts and communities facing the most acute and life-threatening conditions, including drought, large-scale returns, disease outbreaks, residual earthquake impacts and natural disasters.
The launch of the 2026 HNRP underscores the scale and urgency of the crisis in Afghanistan and highlights the commitment of humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving support to those who need it most. Securing sufficient funding and support is critical to maintain essential services, prevent further deterioration and reach millions of people at risk.
Afghanistan returnee’s crisis: Key trends and operational impact in 2026
Millions of Afghans are returning home under increasingly dire circumstances, fueling a humanitarian emergency of historic proportions. Over the past two years, roughly five million people, nearly 10 per cent of the population, have returned, fleeing deportations and tightening migration restrictions in neighboring countries. In 2025 alone, an estimated 2.78 million Afghans returned, the majority from Iran (1.88 million) and Pakistan (899,000), including 2.3 million undocumented and 484,000 documented returnees. At the peak of the year, daily arrivals from Iran surged to 30,000 – 40,000 in June and July, overwhelming border reception points and putting severe strain on onward movement systems.
For most returnees, the journey home was abrupt and unplanned. Families arrived with few assets, limited savings and minimal documentation, immediately relying on humanitarian assistance. Communities across Afghanistan — already struggling with poverty, unemployment and limited public services, were suddenly tasked with accommodating vast numbers of newcomers.
Humanitarian organizations have mobilized to provide urgent support. Emergency food and cash assistance have reached tens of thousands of returnees, while health services — including screenings, outpatient consultations, vaccinations and mental health support, have been scaled up in provinces receiving high numbers of arrivals and key crossing points. Protection partners have delivered child protection programmes, gender-based violence support, legal counseling and family reunification assistance, particularly for unaccompanied children. Shelter and non-food items, winterization kits, and WASH interventions have helped newly arrived families meet immediate survival needs.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the crisis far exceeds available resources. Assistance has been insufficient and has not reached all those in need due to severe funding constraints. Shelter, food, livelihoods and longer-term reintegration support remain critical gaps.
Women, girls and children face heightened risks. Nearly one-third of returnees are women and girls, while children under 17 — including unaccompanied and separated minors require urgent protection, family tracing and psychosocial support. Undocumented returnees face the greatest barriers to services, livelihoods and legal protections, leaving them highly vulnerable.
A recent Post-Returnee Monitoring Survey underscores the severity of the crisis. Only 35 per cent of households reported adequate food security, while access to water and sanitation had sharply declined. Nearly nine in ten returnees remained in debt and 67 per cent reported high psychological stress. The pressure on provincial services has been immense. Provinces including Herat, Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz and Nangarhar have absorbed large numbers of returnees despite limited infrastructure. Temporary accommodation, health facilities and water and sanitation systems are struggling to meet demand, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.
Economic pressures are compounding the crisis. The sudden influx of returnees has intensified competition for low-skilled jobs, suppressing wages and limiting income opportunities in already fragile markets. Many households face worsening food insecurity and are resorting to negative coping strategies. The return of school-aged children has also increased demand for education services, as families attempt to re-enroll children who have experienced prolonged disruptions to learning.
As Afghanistan prepares for continued returns into 2026, the situation has shifted from a temporary emergency to a protracted humanitarian and development challenge. Sustained funding coordinated action and early investment in livelihoods and essential services are crucial. Without timely and adequate support, both returnees and host communities’ risk further deterioration in living conditions and deepening vulnerability.
Afghanistan humanitarian fund winter support protected families in the eastern region
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises, where years of conflict, a deepening economic crisis, political instability and increasingly severe climate shocks have left millions in need of life-saving assistance. These overlapping challenges have left many households acutely vulnerable and unprepared for winter. In this frontline humanitarian context, the OCHA-managed Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) plays a vital role in enabling timely, flexible and principled assistance to reach those most in need. During the 2024–2025 winter season in eastern Afghanistan, thousands of families faced freezing temperatures with limited resources, damaged shelters, and few means to protect themselves, making AHF-supported winter assistance a critical lifeline.
With support from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) provided life-saving winterization and emergency shelter assistance to the most vulnerable families. Between November 2024 and June 2025, DRC reached 1,345 households — more than 9,400 people, including persons with disabilities across priority districts in Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
The assistance combined cash-based and in-kind winterization support, enabling families to meet urgent seasonal needs with dignity and choice. Households received heating fuel, winter clothing, and blankets, while families with damaged shelters, particularly those affected by floods, received cash for shelter upgrades. Through a trusted local hawala network, assistance was delivered quickly and safely, including in hard-to-reach areas where winter conditions restricted mobility.
For Matiullah in Duab district of Nuristan, winter posed a serious threat. Blind and living with chronic back pain, he is the head of a family of seven and struggles to earn enough to meet basic needs. The family’s home was poorly insulated, and fuel, blankets and warm clothing were scarce. Bitterly cold nights left the children shivering, while Matiullah worried constantly about their health and safety.
Through AHF-supported winterization assistance, Matiullah’s household received cash to purchase heating fuel, blankets and warm clothing. The support helped protect the family from harsh winter conditions, reduced health risks and restored a sense of dignity. The children were able to sleep through the night and continue attending school, while Matiullah could focus on caring for his family rather than merely surviving the cold.
In Surkhrod district of Nangarhar Province, Fruzan, a mother of ten and the sole provider for her children, faced similar hardships. In a context where women have extremely limited access to livelihood opportunities, she struggled to meet the day-to-day needs of her family. The shelter in which they lived was in very poor condition, with no doors or windows. In summer, the heat was unbearable, and in winter, cold winds and rain entered through the open gaps, creating freezing conditions for herself and her family. The home also offered no protection from snakes, insects or intruders, leaving Fruzan and her children exposed to multiple risks. She described to DRC her anxiety that the approaching winter would bring serious health consequences for her children, some of whom were already unwell due to the poor living conditions.
With support from DRC through AHF funding, Fruzan’s shelter was upgraded to improve safety, insulation and dignity, including the installation of doors and windows. For the first time in years, the family could sleep in a secure and protected space. Fruzan shared:
"Before the assistance, every night I was worried not just about the cold, but about the safety of my children. We had no door to lock. Strangers, animals and rain could enter anytime. Now, with this shelter repaired, I feel safe. My children are warm and I can finally sleep without fear."
These stories reflect the broader impact of AHF-supported winter assistance across eastern Afghanistan. The response prioritized households facing the highest risks, including women-headed households, displaced families, returnees, and households with persons with disabilities, in line with Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES/NFI) Cluster criteria. Protection, risk sensitivity, community consultation and inclusion were central to ensuring assistance reached those most in need.
The 2024–2025 winter response demonstrated the life-saving importance of timely and flexible humanitarian financing in Afghanistan. Sustained donor support to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund will remain essential to protect vulnerable families and strengthen their resilience throughout 2026 and beyond.