KABUL (Pajhwok): The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has expressed concern over a severe shortage of humanitarian funding for Afghanistan, saying only 16.9 percent of the required budget for the 2026 response plan has been secured so far.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said 2026 could become a “make-or-break year” for millions of people in need worldwide, warning that a continued decline in aid could lead to a major loss of lives.
“2026 is a make-or-break year for millions in desperate need around the world, from Venezuela to Sudan. Families whose lives have been shattered by conflict are increasingly struggling to survive. Violence and displacement continue unabated, while spiralling inflation puts basic goods out of reach, all at a time when aid is declining due to a lack of funding. If the world doesn’t choose to change course, we will see a massive loss of lives,” Egeland said.
He added that by mid-year, only 30 percent of the funding required to assist 143 million of the 252 million people in need of humanitarian support globally had been secured.
The NRC said Afghanistan has, for the first time, been included in its list of the world’s most neglected crises, noting that only 16.9 percent of its humanitarian response plan is currently funded.
The organisation added that Afghanistan previously received more than 40 percent of its humanitarian aid from the United States until 2024, but following the suspension of this assistance, funding levels have dropped to their lowest point.
According to the report, while 21.9 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance and millions of returnees have arrived from neighbouring countries, only 11 percent of adult returnees have full-time employment.
The NRC urged donor countries to allocate humanitarian funding based on need rather than political or geopolitical considerations, warning that delays in support could deepen hunger and crisis levels.
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