Afghanistan is confronting one of the most severe displacement crises globally, driven by poverty, drought, and earthquakes, according to United Nations agencies. The latest socioeconomic review by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) office in Afghanistan highlights that a fragile economy, four decades of conflict, 2.7 million returnees, worsening climate shocks, and declining women's participation are intensifying pressure on livelihoods and services.
UNDP Chief Warns of Compounding Crises
“In Afghanistan, crises rarely happen one at a time,” said UNDP chief Alexander De Croo, who is currently on a joint visit with the High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih. The pair are meeting returnee communities, partners, and authorities across the country, reaffirming a shared commitment to resilience and solutions. In the past year alone, an earthquake destroyed numerous homes and livelihoods, while poverty remains a crushing reality for most.
74% of Afghans Cannot Meet Basic Needs
At a time when 74% of the population—29 million people—cannot meet basic needs, UNDP is supporting displaced and host communities to rebuild together and transition from return to real recovery. The joint visit took the UN agency chiefs to Jalalabad, where they met earthquake-affected communities. They also traveled to the Sutan Valley, an area that “tells a story of recovery,” according to De Croo. Hard hit by an earthquake, Sutan is already showing results of recovery efforts, including flood protection and irrigation projects where women craft wire mesh and men make bricks to form barriers that reduce disaster risk, protect farmland, and generate income.
Development Restores Lives
“Emergency aid saves lives,” De Croo said. “Development gives people their lives back.” UN agencies are working together toward these common goals. A UN Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan-supported initiative launched last year is helping lay the foundation for durable solutions in northeastern Afghanistan. The Participatory Action for Integrated Developmental Assistance to Areas of Return project aims to improve access to housing, essential services, economic opportunities, and living conditions for hosts, returnees, and internally displaced people (IDPs) in 69 displacement-affected communities across three districts of Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.
UNHCR's Whole-of-Route Approach
Simultaneously, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is adopting a whole-of-route approach to reduce risks along mixed movement corridors and strengthen asylum systems. With over 570,000 Afghans projected to need resettlement in 2026, the agency will push to increase opportunities and expand pathways such as education, labor mobility, and family reunification.
