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Source: United Nations (video statements)

“The danger is that when people become invisible, they risk becoming dispensable,” the UN humanitarian office’s spokesperson said Afghanistan continues to face compounding humanitarian crises, from flash floods to malnutrition and unexploded ordnance, even as funding for the response remains critically low.

“Last week in Nuristan, after flash floods swept through the town, destroying homes and infrastructure, families told me they had lost loved ones, livelihoods and everything they owned. Humanitarians moved quickly, delivering shelter, food, healthcare, safe water, protection and psychosocial support to affected communities,” Olga Cherevko, OCHA spokesperson for Afghanistan, told reporters in New York.

She said such disasters keep striking a population with little capacity to recover. “But when these floods hit, many people were already struggling to get by. Afghanistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate shocks. Communities barely recover from one disaster before another strikes – floods, droughts, harsh winters and earthquakes. Each shock pushes already vulnerable families deeper into poverty,” she said.

Cherevko also pointed to restrictions on women and girls. “Restrictions affecting women and girls continue to shape almost every aspect of daily life. They impact education, livelihoods, access to healthcare and participation in society. With every new restriction, women are pushed even further out of public life. And the danger is that when people become invisible, they risk becoming dispensable,” she said.

On nutrition, the spokesperson said malnutrition is rising sharply among children. “At the same time, we are seeing alarming levels of acute malnutrition in many parts of Afghanistan, particularly among young children. Our nutrition partners tell us that wasting among children has worsened this year in over three-quarters of the country,” she said.

She added that many children are unable to reach care in time. “Too many children arrive at health facilities severely malnourished. Others never make it there because healthcare is simply too far away, or parents don’t have sufficient information about available options, especially in remote provinces where difficult terrain and damaged roads make access even more challenging. Prevention is critical, but growing funding and supply gaps, along with other existing risks, are putting more lives at risk,” Cherevko said.

She also cited ongoing casualties from explosive remnants of war and cross-border fighting. “Unexploded ordnance continues to kill and maim civilians, often when children are playing, farmers are trying to return to their fields, or people trying to rebuild their homes or earn a living. Hostilities also continue to take a heavy toll on civilians in the border areas. According to UNAMA, between October last year and the end of June 2026, cross-border fighting resulted in over 1,700 civilian casualties, with nearly 500 people killed,” she said.

Cherevko warned the humanitarian response is severely underfunded. “The funding currently is dangerously low. We are looking at our humanitarian response plan: the requirement is around 1.71 billion, and we have only just received just over 26 per cent of the required funding. And we’re already in August. So, this is something very alarming to us, especially given the fact that we are seeing a lot of these indicators worsening,” she said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNLA7N-uhfA

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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