Kabul: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that by 2026, approximately 14.4 million people in Afghanistan will require health services, according to local media reports on Thursday.
OCHA stated that out of these, only 7.2 million people are expected to receive health services under existing programmes. The agency highlighted that among those needing health care, 54 percent will be children, 24 percent women, and 10 percent persons with disabilities. To meet these needs, funding exceeding 1.9 billion US dollars will be necessary.
OCHA further noted that Afghanistan will continue to face the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in 2026, with around 22 million people dependent on humanitarian aid. International organisations and non-governmental groups are intensifying efforts to provide vaccination, maternal health care, and emergency medical services in the country.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Tuesday that Afghanistan is confronting one of the most severe malnutrition crises among children. Local media say nearly 3.7 million children suffer from acute malnutrition each year.
Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, emphasised the urgent need to tackle this crisis during the launch of new guidelines for malnutrition prevention and treatment on Tuesday.
The report indicated that since 2021, economic decline, drought, and lack of funding for humanitarian aid have worsened the malnutrition crisis. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), over 90 percent of Afghan families cannot afford sufficient food, resulting in lasting developmental harm to children due to hunger and nutritional deficiencies.
The new guidelines introduce significant changes in methods for treating and preventing malnutrition, placing special focus on life-saving interventions for the most severe cases. They also include detailed instructions for the care of infants under six months, a key step towards reducing child malnutrition. UNICEF expects these revised guidelines to improve treatment outcomes and save the lives of Afghan children amid the crisis.
Factors such as poverty, food insecurity, limited access to health services, and malnutrition among mothers contribute to the high levels of child malnutrition in Afghanistan. The situation is especially dire in conflict-affected rural areas where families face food shortages and lack medical facilities. Restrictions on female health workers have further hindered access to treatment.
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