UN warns Afghan women's aid groups may shut as funding runs short

The United Nations has warned that more than half of women's organisations still operating in Afghanistan could stop work within the next year because of funding shortages. The warning comes as the country marks five years since the Taliban returned to power, a period in which women's rights and access to public life have been sharply restricted. UN Women said the risk is especially acute for groups providing support to women and girls in a country where humanitarian needs remain high.

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Susan Ferguson, UN Women's special representative in Afghanistan, said donor countries should not cut funding for women's programmes because doing so would deepen the hardship faced by Afghan women. She said more than half of 74 women's organisations surveyed in April were likely to suspend operations or close within a year because of financial pressure. Ferguson also said nearly three-quarters of the organisations had already experienced funding cuts in 2025, while about two-thirds had six months or less of operating funds left.

The warning comes against the backdrop of a wider funding gap in Afghanistan's humanitarian response. The United Nations' $1.7bn appeal for the country is only 25% funded, according to the figures cited by UN Women. That shortfall matters because women's organisations often provide services that are difficult to replace, including support linked to health, protection and daily survival in communities affected by poverty and restrictions on movement.

The situation also reflects the broader political and social environment under Taliban rule. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has issued more than 100 decrees restricting women's rights, affecting education, employment, freedom of movement, healthcare and access to justice, Ferguson said. Girls remain barred from secondary schools and women from universities, despite repeated Taliban promises to find a way for them to attend in line with its interpretation of Islamic principles.

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UN Women said the impact of these restrictions is visible in daily life. More than half of 3,200 women surveyed said they now leave home only once or twice a month, and seven in 10 described their mental health as bad or very bad. The warning therefore goes beyond funding alone and points to a wider erosion of support systems for women at a time when many are already isolated from public services and employment.

The appeal for donor support also comes as a group of 56 countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Lebanon, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement at the United Nations renewing calls on the Taliban. What remains unclear is whether additional funding will arrive quickly enough to prevent closures among women's organisations. The next test will be whether donors respond before existing grants run out and whether aid groups can keep operating through the coming year.

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