The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan has received over US$ 6.3 million in humanitarian funding from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to strengthen access to essential health services for vulnerable communities. The funding comes from two major sources: the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF). This support will help expand health care delivery at a time when nearly one in three Afghans lacks access to basic medical services.
From the total funding, CERF allocated US$ 4.98 million through its underfunded emergencies window. This will enable WHO to operate 42 primary health care centres, deploy 15 surveillance support teams, and distribute 249 primary health care kits across 13 provinces. Meanwhile, the AHF provided US$ 1.39 million to support six sub-health centres, 10 surveillance teams, and 13 inpatient therapeutic feeding centres in four provinces, targeting children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. These contributions are critical to supporting Afghanistan’s overstretched health system and ensuring lifesaving care reaches those most in need.
WHO Representative in Afghanistan, Dr. Edwin Ceniza Salvador, highlighted that the funding would help prevent avoidable deaths, strengthen outbreak response capacity, and extend services to women, children, and displaced communities disproportionately affected by crises. He emphasized that the support would allow WHO to expand its reach and deliver services to more people in more locations.
The combined projects are expected to directly benefit over 747,000 people, while improved outbreak prevention and health infrastructure will indirectly reach an additional 2.4 million people. Deputy Head of OCHA Afghanistan, Kate Carey, noted that these allocations are vital given the surge in returnees from Iran and Pakistan and the looming threat of severe drought across many parts of the country.
With the backing of CERF and AHF, WHO’s interventions will not only provide lifesaving treatment but also strengthen Afghanistan’s fragile health system. By improving access to primary care, scaling up therapeutic services for malnourished children, and enhancing disease surveillance, these efforts aim to save lives and build resilience among Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations.
