Afghanistan is plunging deeper into a humanitarian catastrophe, with the country’s crisis now ranking among the worst globally despite the end of active conflict, United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher warned during a visit to the war-ravaged country.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse during a visit to a mobile health clinic in Kunduz on Wednesday, Fletcher painted a grim picture of Afghanistan’s current state, saying it topped a list of 17 crises worldwide requiring urgent international attention. He voiced alarm at the sharp drop in humanitarian assistance, warning that the suffering of ordinary Afghans is being dangerously overlooked.
Since the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan has witnessed the suspension of major foreign aid, most notably from the United States, which had contributed $3.71 billion before halting support over concerns of mismanagement by the de facto authorities. Fletcher criticised the cuts as “cruel,” stressing that the consequences, though initially invisible, are now starkly visible in the lives of the most vulnerable.
In one of the most harrowing accounts, he recalled meeting a mother who cycled for three hours to reach a health facility, only to lose her child upon arrival. “Anyone who justifies this aid reduction should listen to her story,” he remarked.
While some critics of the Taliban have welcomed the aid suspension due to reported misuse and corruption, Fletcher underlined that ordinary citizens—especially women and children—are paying the price. He described the condition of Afghan women as part of the country’s “accumulated crises” and urged the need for sustained dialogue after holding meetings with Taliban leaders in Kabul and Kandahar.
Fletcher also sounded the alarm on the escalating impact of climate change in Afghanistan, calling it “deeply concerning” and warning that it could soon surpass conflict as the leading cause of humanitarian distress in the country.
He concluded by stating that Afghanistan’s crisis is being compounded by entrenched poverty, climate shocks, institutional collapse, and decades of misrule and warfare—leaving the country on the brink of total disaster.
