UN warns funding shortfall threatens nutrition support programmes in Afghanistan
Kabul, July 26 (IANS) The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that a funding shortfall in 2026 is threatening nutrition programmes that support 5.7 million children and mothers in Afghanistan, local media reported on Sunday.
In a statement, the OCHA said that millions of vulnerable Afghans could lose access to essential health and nutrition services until humanitarian organisations receive urgent funding.
The agency said that financial constraints have already reduced the capacity of humanitarian partners to respond to increasing needs, especially among children and mothers, who are at risk of malnutrition, Afghanistan-based news agency Khaama Press reported.
The UN OCHA’s statement comes as Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, triggered by poverty, food insecurity, weak public services and limited access to healthcare.
Years of conflict, restrictions on humanitarian and development activities and economic disruption have resulted in millions of Afghans now reliant on international assistance.
The UN agency’s latest warning showcases the potential consequences of reducing international humanitarian funding at a time when needs remain high in Afghanistan. Funding shortages could force aid agencies to reduce the coverage of nutrition programmes, resulting in vulnerable people remaining without timely assistance, Khaama Press reported.
The situation is especially concerning in remote and under-served areas of Afghanistan, where access to healthcare and humanitarian services remains limited. For people living in poverty in Afghanistan, the loss of nutrition programmes could raise the risk of preventable illness and fatalities among children and mothers.
On July 14, the UN OCHA said in a report that more than 10.7 million women and girls need humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan in 2026, while warning that they remain among the most affected due to the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
According to OCHA’s latest update on Afghanistan, restrictions imposed on women’s movement, education and employment continue to limit their access to essential services, while increasing protection risks and deepening existing vulnerabilities.
Afghanistan continues to have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, with an estimated 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024.
The health sector in Afghanistan is also facing a significant strain. Shortage of women health workers, funding reductions, limited access to essential medicines and gaps in emergency obstetric care are contributing to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare remains limited, according to the OCHA.
The OCHA warned that restrictions on girls’ education are creating risks for Afghanistan’s healthcare sector by limiting the future availability of female doctors, nurses and midwives. According to UNICEF estimates, Afghanistan could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if current restrictions continue.
–IANS
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