Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. An estimated 21.9 million people, nearly half the population, need assistance in 2026, including more than 10.7 million women and girls. More than 17 million faced acute food insecurity through March 2026, and millions live in areas prone to drought and acute watery diarrhoea. About 6 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan since 2023, over half of them children, most arriving with no savings, assets or housing. Earthquakes in 2025 left thousands displaced, and 2026 floods and climate shocks affected 31 of 34 provinces, while needs continue to outpace funding.
Across South Asia, climate disasters and aid cuts deepen the strain. Pakistan’s 2026 monsoon has caused deadly flash floods, with about 481,000 people evacuated in Punjab alone. In Bangladesh, about 1.2 million Rohingya refugees depend on aid and saw food assistance reduced for two-thirds of camp residents from April 2026. Urgent priorities are emergency food and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, support for returnees and displaced families, shelter, basic health care and protection for women and children.
