Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis: Ordinary People Being Abandoned
Afghanistan’s humanitarian and human rights crisis is worsening, while the international community risks turning away from the suffering of ordinary people. The United Nations has warned that millions of Afghans are living in poverty and struggling to access food, healthcare, education, and employment. Around 21.9 million people are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, basic freedoms have continued to deteriorate. Women and girls have faced severe restrictions on education, employment, movement, and public life. More than two million girls and women have been denied access to secondary and higher education, while journalists, activists, former officials, and peaceful critics have faced arbitrary detention and other abuses.
The crisis has also been intensified by forced returns from neighbouring countries and elsewhere. More than 400,000 Afghans have reportedly been returned against their will, often to a country where they face poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and limited access to essential services. At the same time, funding shortages are forcing humanitarian organisations to reduce services or close facilities.
This leaves vulnerable families without adequate food, healthcare, shelter, or protection.
The Taliban authorities must end discriminatory restrictions against women and girls, protect journalists and human rights defenders, and release people held arbitrarily. Other governments must stop forced returns and provide sufficient funding for humanitarian assistance. Afghanistan’s ordinary people must not be abandoned or treated as forgotten victims of a political crisis.
As Rights Defenders Initiative (RDI), we strongly condemn the continuing human rights violations and humanitarian neglect in Afghanistan. The systematic restriction of women and girls, persecution of activists and journalists, arbitrary detention, forced returns, and withdrawal of humanitarian support are deeply wrong and contrary to fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles. We call on the Taliban authorities to respect the rights and dignity of all Afghans, and on governments around the world to restore humanitarian assistance and stand with the people of Afghanistan.
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