Two Years After Taliban Takeover, the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan Remains Critical

August 19 marks two years since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, following the United States military withdrawal and collapse of the Ghani government. The humanitarian crisis in the country remains grim, with 28.3 million Afghans in need of lifesaving aid. As the situation continues to deteriorate, InterAction and its Members call for increased donor support so that humanitarian assistance can continue to reach those most in need.

After three consecutive years of drought, 20 million Afghans face acute food insecurity, 6 million of whom are considered in the “emergency” phase (IPC4) of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) System, one step from famine (IPC5). This includes 3.1 million children who are at risk of both moderate and severe acute malnutrition.

Food insecurity is expected to increase this year due to recent food assistance cuts by the World Food Programme (WFP). Once serving 20 million people in Afghanistan, the WFP can now only reach 5 million Afghans—likely only until October—due to a shortage of funds.

Economic shocks in Afghanistan have persisted since the Taliban took power in August 2021. This has caused household debt to increase and has eroded the overall resiliency of the population. In just two years, prices of food baskets have increased by nearly 35%. In addition to the sustained inflation of key commodity prices, unemployment is at 13.3%, an all-time high.

In light of these circumstances, the humanitarian community aims to reach 22.3 million people with multi-sectoral assistance between June and December 2023. However, the Humanitarian Response Plan is only 23% funded, leaving a major gap in funding that is likely to have serious consequences for vulnerable Afghans.

InterAction and its Members call on donors to commit to supporting the humanitarian response in Afghanistan and ensure life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it most.

Here are some of our Members’ statements two years after the Taliban takeover:

• Alliance for Peacebuilding: Marking Two Years Of Taliban Oppression
• CARE: How women & girls are surviving in Afghanistan today
• International Medical Corps: Bringing Clean Water to Rural Communities in Afghanistan
• International Rescue Committee: Two years since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, almost 30 million people remain in dire need of assistance as funding shortfalls jeopardize the humanitarian response
• Norwegian Refugee Council: The people of Afghanistan need sustainable solutions to avoid catastrophe
• Save the Children: More Than A Third Of Children Surveyed In Afghanistan Pushed Into Child Labour, As Country Marks Two Years Of Taliban Rule
• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants: At Home and Abroad, Afghans Need Protections Two Years After Taliban Takeover

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Members interested in joining InterAction’s Afghanistan Working Group should please contact Kathryn Sidlowski (ksidlowski@interaction.org).