UN Warns of Impending Healthcare Crisis in Afghanistan Due to Funding Cuts
The United Nations has issued a warning that a reduction in financial aid threatens to close over 700 healthcare facilities in Afghanistan, leaving millions without access to medical services.
UN Warns of Closure Risks for Over 700 Healthcare Facilities in Afghanistan
Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator, has cautioned in a recent meeting that a severe decline in international financial assistance poses a serious threat to the operations of more than 700 healthcare centers in Afghanistan. According to Lemarquis, this situation significantly jeopardizes millions of Afghans’ access to essential health services.
Highlighting the critical state of the healthcare sector in Afghanistan, he stated that due to budget shortfalls, nearly 40 percent of the country’s primary healthcare system could face closure in 2025 and 2026. This will adversely affect over 700 health centers, which comprise a portion of the 1,900 active centers nationwide.
Lemarquis further noted that the budget allocated for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan has plummeted from $2 billion in 2023 to $1 billion in 2025. For 2026, only $570 million has been secured, which is just one-fourth of the budget for 2023.
Humanitarian Crisis and Restrictions on Women
The UN humanitarian coordinator also drew attention to the increasing restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan, expressing grave concern. In particular, in Herat province, more than 2.6 million girls have been deprived of secondary and higher education, while a decrease in boys attending schools is exacerbated by the economic hardships faced by families, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
