OCHA says Afghanistan will remain among world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026
Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026, with nearly half of the population projected to require hu...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Afghanistan is facing a worsening humanitarian and health crisis in 2025, with millions of returning refugees expected to stretch the country’s already fragile health system.
In its latest report, the WHO said about 1.6 million Afghans are expected to return from Pakistan and nearly 2 million from Iran this year, fuelling further strain on healthcare. The agency urged the international community to step up support.
Dr Luo Dapeng, the WHO Representative in Afghanistan, said the situation was urgent, warning that “the health system is fragile, under-resourced, and cannot cope alone with the scale of need”.
The report found that 22.9 million Afghans – nearly half the country’s population – will need humanitarian assistance in 2025. However, current plans only cover 16.8 million people, leaving a funding gap of $2.42 billion.
Afghanistan’s rural areas remain the most vulnerable, with many communities lacking access to basic services. WHO also highlighted the risk of outbreaks of polio, malaria, COVID-19, diarrhoeal disease, and other infections. According to UNICEF, more than 875,000 Afghan children under five suffer from severe acute malnutrition, increasing their vulnerability to disease.
Globally, malaria alone killed more than 600,000 people in 2022, according to WHO, underscoring fears that Afghanistan could see a surge if prevention measures falter.
Humanitarian analysts warn that unless urgent funding is secured, the crisis could escalate ahead of winter.
Protests in Iran over soaring prices and a plunging rial have spread to universities in Tehran, as students join shopkeepers and bazaar merchants in demanding government action. With inflation above 42% and the rial at record lows, unrest continues to grow across the country.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, rising casualties, economic struggles, and mounting unrest expose cracks in society. Despite Kremlin propaganda, frustration is growing as more Russians question the government’s narrative, according to The Washington Post.
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, said Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights for almost sixty years, and that the UN General Assembly this month once again reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty over the region.
Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026, with nearly half of the population projected to require humanitarian assistance, according to a new report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
Türkiye will never tolerate coercion, piracy, or banditry in its maritime “blue homeland,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, rising casualties, economic struggles, and mounting unrest expose cracks in society. Despite Kremlin propaganda, frustration is growing as more Russians question the government’s narrative, according to The Washington Post.
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