Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis

Overview

Following the Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan and the chaotic US military withdrawal completed on August 31, 2021, the country plunged into a severe humanitarian crisis. The collapse of the previous government led to a frozen banking system, suspended international aid, and economic freefall. By early 2022, an estimated 23 million Afghans — more than half the population — faced acute food insecurity. The crisis was compounded by a severe drought, the worst in decades, which devastated agriculture. Women and girls faced severe restrictions on education, employment, and movement. Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people joined the millions already displaced by decades of conflict. International organizations scaled up operations despite operating under significant constraints imposed by the new authorities.