The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned that over 10% of Afghanistan’s population could lose access to healthcare by year’s end due to the cessation of US aid.
Afghanistan, a nation heavily reliant on international assistance, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Since the US funding cuts earlier this year, approximately three million Afghans have already lost healthcare access due to the closure of over 364 medical facilities.
The WHO predicts an additional 220 centres will close by the third quarter of 2025, meaning more than half of the country’s 1,068 healthcare centres will be non-operational.
Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO’s representative in Afghanistan, explained that while other donors have tried to compensate, the gap left by US funding is too significant.
He highlighted the fragility of Afghanistan’s healthcare system, already weakened by decades of conflict and burdened by high infant and maternal mortality rates.
The situation worsened after President Donald Trump’s administration reduced USAID funding by 83%, impacting numerous humanitarian programmes.
USAID, which previously contributed 42% of global humanitarian aid, had a $42.8 billion annual budget.
Salvador warned of increased risks of disease outbreaks like dengue, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as declining immunisation rates.
The WHO is also struggling to maintain polio vaccination efforts, as Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only remaining countries where the disease is endemic.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged international donors to continue supporting the 22.9 million Afghans in need of aid.
With 85% of the population living on less than a dollar a day, the WHO is appealing to the international community not to overlook Afghanistan’s urgent needs amidst other global crises.
