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Humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

Faizabad is a city in north-east Afghanistan. it serves as the provincial capital and largest city of Badakhshan Province. Masoud SAMIMI/ICRC

Afghanistan has seen massive changes, but one thing is clear: The Afghan people cannot pay the price for these changes. Humanitarian needs in the country remain massive. 

The ICRC continues to work in Afghanistan, as we have for 30 years.

With the Afghan Red Crescent, we will significantly increase the number of health structures we support, we will work to ensure the dignity of detained populations, to connect separated families across borders, including the immediate need to reunite children with their families.

— President of the ICRC, Peter Maurer

The ICRC has served the people of Afghanistan for 30 years. We won't stop now. The ICRC is not evacuating or withdrawing staff from Afghanistan. We remain operational across the country, together with our partner the Afghan Red Crescent Society. 

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Outside of Kabul, people continue to be injured by mines and explosive devices. Our staff at Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar report receiving referrals from people wounded by explosive weapons, many of whom are children, and amputations are often required. This comes on top of having received a huge influx of patients injured by weapons during heavy fighting in recent weeks.

The ICRC has access across the country. We have been working in Taliban-controlled areas for years and we have a positive working relationship with them, at both the top level and the local leadership level. The changes in Afghanistan have not changed our relationship with them, and the current situation doesn't change the way we seek to operate. 

Health care is a clear and urgent need. Thousands of people were injured in the last weeks as fighting raged in cities. We helped treat more than 7,600 people wounded by weapons in the first two weeks of August across 48 health care facilities. More than 40,000 people wounded by weapons have been treated at ICRC-supported facilities in June, July and August.

This 18-month-old boy suffers from club foot. He is undergoing treatment at the ICRC physical rehabilitation centre in Badakhshan, Faizabad. Masoud SAMIMI/ICRC

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Facts & figures

7,600
People wounded by weapons in the first two weeks of August were medically supported across 48 health care facilities.
40,000+
people wounded by weapons have been treated at ICRC-supported facilities in June, July and August.
79,953
Patients were assisted in the seven ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation centres from January to June 2021, including 7,138 newly registered patients and 723 people with an amputated limb
More facts & figures
Over 3%
Of the population in Afghanistan suffer from various forms of disability due to conflict and violence, poor preventive and curative medicine, lack of rehabilitation facilities and competent practitioners, and low financial resources.