Afghanistan Humanitarian System Faces Gender, Funding, and Sanction Challenges, 2022‑2025 Report Shows

A 2026 UN OCHA report on Afghanistan’s humanitarian system, covering January 2022 to December 2025, finds that women and girls suffer disproportionately due to mobility restrictions, limited access to gender‑responsive services, and male gatekeepers who mediate aid eligibility. Adaptations such as recruiting Mahrams and female aid workers increased costs and narrowed direct engagement. International sanctions imposed stricter vetting and documentation, disproportionately burdening smaller, women‑led NGOs that lack robust administrative systems. The 2025 funding cuts halted livelihood, vocational training, nutrition, health, and protection programmes, while stringent approvals delayed emergency interventions. Localisation grew operationally, with national organisations delivering more aid but holding limited influence over funding, coordination, or negotiations with authorities. Humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality were often compromised as organisations adjusted to maintain access.