RASC News Agency: Rosa Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, expressed grave concerns regarding the Taliban’s increasing restrictions across multiple sectors in Afghanistan. Speaking at a session of the UN Security Council, Otunbayeva reported that due to the severe reduction in humanitarian aid, 200 health centers have been closed across the country over the past month. During the session on March 20, Otunbayeva emphasized that the Afghanistani people continue to face a profound humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by persistent conflict, deep-rooted poverty, climate shocks, and a rapidly growing population.
“Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, the hardships of the Afghanistani population have intensified, with poverty and unemployment threatening the stability of society,” she remarked. She further projected that by 2025, over 50% of the Afghanistani population around 23 million people will require humanitarian assistance, with aid resources dwindling at an alarming rate. The reduction in funding for humanitarian programs has already had a devastating impact, Otunbayeva pointed out. In just the last month, dozens of health facilities and several relief organizations have been forced to cease operations.
“More than 200 healthcare centers have been closed in the past month alone, directly affecting 1.8 million people. Furthermore, critical nutrition programs for children have been severely constrained,” she added. Despite these challenges, Otunbayeva acknowledged the World Bank’s recent commitment of $240 million to support Afghanistan’s health sector through November 2026. She expressed her gratitude for this contribution. However, she also warned that the continued closure of health and aid centers in Afghanistan over recent months is deeply concerning, with experts asserting that this trend poses a serious threat to the Afghanistani population’s well-being.
