Afghanistan Faces One Of The World's Largest Displacement Crises, Says UN
The United Nations says Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s largest displacement crises amid widespread poverty, drought and recurring earthquakes.
The United Nations says Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s largest displacement crises amid widespread poverty, drought and recurring earthquakes.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan said its latest socio-economic assessment found that a fragile economy, four decades of conflict, the return of 2.7 million migrants, worsening climate change and reduced participation by women have placed increasing pressure on livelihoods and public services.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih and UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo arrived in Kabul on Sunday for a three-day visit.
Alexander De Croo stressed that in Afghanistan, crises rarely occur in isolation.
He said the visit was intended to reaffirm the UN’s shared commitment to strengthening resilience and finding sustainable solutions.
After visiting earthquake-affected areas in eastern Afghanistan, De Croo said poverty remained an overwhelming reality for most Afghans.
He said a single earthquake over the past year had destroyed many homes and sources of income. He added that 74 percent of the population, around 29 million people, are unable to meet their basic needs, and stressed that UNDP would continue supporting vulnerable people and those displaced by conflict and disasters.
According to the 2026 Global Report on Internal Displacement, around 7 million people in Afghanistan were internally displaced last year because of prolonged conflict and natural disasters. The figure represents about half of all internally displaced people in South Asia during 2025.
Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said Afghanistan could not achieve development without women and girls. Referring to the Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working for UN agencies, he said without question, this has placed major constraints on UN ability to deliver services to the people of Afghanistan.
