Afghanistan: Security Council renews UN mission as WHO warns of health catastrophe

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year, as UN agencies reported sharp declines in resources for lifesaving aid.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2777 (2025), the 15-member council stressed the “critical importance” of a continued presence of UNAMA and other UN agencies across Afghanistan.

The council also expressed appreciation for the UN’s long-term commitment to the country and its people, reiterating its full support for UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General who leads the mission.

Ambassadors also expressed “serious concern” over the continued presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and highlighted the need to combat the production, trade and trafficking of illicit drugs and chemicals used to manufacture narcotics.

They stressed the need to improve disaster risk reduction, as disasters worsen the humanitarian and socio-economic crisis.

Cuts could shut down 80 per cent of WHO programmes

Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan warned that funding shortages could force the closure of 80 per cent of the agency’s health services there, leaving millions without access to critical medical care.

As of 4 March, 167 health facilities in 25 provinces had to shut down due to lack of money. A further 220 facilities could close by June, affecting the most vulnerable populations – women, children, the elderly and the displaced and returnees.

“These closures are not just numbers on a report, they represent mothers unable to give birth safely, children missing lifesaving vaccinations, entire communities left without protection from deadly disease outbreaks,” said Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO’s top official in Afghanistan.

“The consequences will be measured in lives lost,” he warned.

© WHO

Eighty percent of WHO-supported facilities in Afghanistan risk shutdown by June.

Dire health crisis

Even before the funding cuts, Afghanistan had been battling multiple health emergencies, including outbreaks of measles, malaria, dengue, polio and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.

Over 16,000 suspected measles cases, including 111 deaths, were reported in January and February 2025. Children are most at risk of illness and death, given “critically low” vaccination rates – only 51 per cent for first dose and 37 per cent for the second.

While some donors continue to support Afghanistan’s health sector, funding has been significantly reduced as development aid priorities have shifted in recent months.

Resources for broader humanitarian efforts in the country remain uncertain. With the first quarter coming to an end, the UN-coordinated $2.4 billion Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2025 is only about 13 per cent funded.

“This is not just about funding,” said Dr. Salvador.

“It is a humanitarian emergency that threatens to undo years of progress in strengthening Afghanistan’s health system … every day that passes without our collective support brings more suffering, more preventable deaths and lasting damage to the country’s health care infrastructure.”

UNAMA in Afghanistan

Established in 2002, UNAMA is a political mission which facilitates dialogue between political leaders in Afghanistan, regional stakeholders and the international community, to promote inclusive governance and conflict prevention.

The deputy chief of the mission is also in charge of coordinating the UN’s extensive aid operation in cooperation with the de facto Taliban authorities since they returned to power in 2021.

It is also mandated by the Security Council to monitor and report on the human rights situation, with a focus on women’s rights, minorities and vulnerable groups.

UNAMA also supports regional cooperation, encouraging engagement between Afghanistan and neighbouring countries on issues related to security, stability and economic development.