KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 9.3 million people in Afghanistan received at least one form of humanitarian assistance in the first eight months of 2026, but only 30 percent of the required funding has been secured by the end of August, leaving a shortfall of 1.2 billion dollars.
In its latest report on humanitarian needs and the 2026 response plan, OCHA said millions of people in Afghanistan had benefited from humanitarian assistance and services between January and August this year.
According to the report, 5.1 million of the total 9.3 million recipients received food assistance, while 1.4 million people benefited from humanitarian services in at least three different sectors.
However, OCHA expressed concern over the shortage of funds needed to continue providing assistance, saying that only 513 million dollars, or 30 percent of the required budget, had been secured by the end of August. Another 1.2 billion dollars was still needed to implement humanitarian programmes.
The organisation stressed that additional funding was essential to ensure continued assistance to people in need in Afghanistan.
OCHA also emphasised the importance of continuing humanitarian operations and ensuring that women and girls had access to humanitarian assistance and services.
kk
