The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan (OCHA) said that a staggering two thirds of Afghanistan’s population will need humanitarian assistance in 2023.

The OCHA report said that a record 28.3 million people will need humanitarian and protection assistance in 2023, up from 24.4 million in 2022 and 18.4 million at the beginning of 2021.

It stated that following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, there has been a major, broad-based deterioration of the humanitarian situation across the country, with both rural and urban areas in crisis.

In its latest report, it said that Afghanistan is also in the grips of a climate change-induced crisis. “The continuation of drought has drastically undermined rural livelihoods, while the loss of jobs in cities means there are no safe havens for displaced people. Unseasonal flooding during the summer and a major earthquake in June have compounded needs and damaged infrastructure further,” it said.

While stating that the country will enter its third consecutive year of drought-like conditions and its second year of crippling economic decline, OCHA said that Afghans have been unable to recover from the devastating impact of the recent earthquake and floods, and decades of conflict-driven vulnerability.

OCHA also mentioned in its report that 32 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are in extreme severity levels of need, up from 30 provinces last year.

Emphasising on the focus areas of the humanitarian response, OCHA said that there has to be an increased focus on seasonal packages to reflect changing needs and allow for response efficiency.