More than 10.7 million women and girls in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance in 2026, according to a report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The agency warned that women and girls remain among the most acutely affected by Afghanistan's deepening humanitarian crisis, as sweeping restrictions on their movement, education, and employment continue to block access to essential services.

Scale of the Crisis

OCHA's latest Afghanistan update flags that gender-based restrictions are not merely a rights issue — they are compounding protection risks and entrenching existing vulnerabilities across the country. Afghanistan already records one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates, with an estimated 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024. That figure places it among the most dangerous countries in the world to give birth.

The health sector is under severe strain. A shortage of women health workers, significant funding reductions, limited availability of essential medicines, and critical gaps in emergency obstetric care are collectively driving preventable maternal and neonatal deaths — particularly in rural areas where healthcare access is already minimal.

Education Restrictions Threaten Future Healthcare

OCHA has specifically flagged that the ongoing ban on girls' education is creating a structural threat to Afghanistan's healthcare pipeline. With fewer girls able to train as doctors, nurses, or midwives, the country faces a compounding shortage of female health professionals in the years ahead.

According to UNICEF estimates, Afghanistan could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if current restrictions remain in place. The loss would further erode a health system already struggling to cope with demand.

Water, Sanitation and Broader Humanitarian Pressures

The crisis extends well beyond gender-specific concerns. In a separate update issued in June, OCHA reported that 16 million people in Afghanistan will need access to clean water and sanitation services in 2026. Water scarcity is exposing children to heightened health risks and forcing communities to adopt increasingly desperate coping mechanisms.

Afghanistan has faced recurring droughts, inadequate water-management infrastructure, and entrenched poverty over decades. Humanitarian agencies warn that climate-related shocks are intensifying pressure on already fragile communities. Reduced international funding has further constrained the ability of aid organisations to expand water, sanitation, and hygiene services across affected areas.

Aid Funding Cuts Deepen the Emergency

OCHA's findings come as Afghanistan grapples with a confluence of economic difficulties, food insecurity, and a marked decline in international aid. Aid organisations have said that funding reductions are directly limiting the reach of humanitarian programmes — preventing agencies from scaling up interventions precisely when needs are at their most acute.

With restrictions on women showing no signs of easing, and international funding under pressure, the gap between humanitarian need and available response capacity in Afghanistan is widening. How the international community responds in the months ahead will determine whether millions of women, girls, and children receive even the most basic assistance.