Women and Girls in Afghanistan Bear the Brunt of the Country’s Crisis

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 13 2025 – Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan nearly four years ago, human rights have begun diminishing for over 14 million women. Heightened gender inequality has exacerbated the pre-existing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which has been marked by conflict, displacement, climate change, food insecurity, and economic instability. In 2025, widespread cuts in humanitarian funding look to further strain the crisis.

The current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), roughly 50 percent of the population, or 23 million people, are dependent on humanitarian aid for survival.

United Nations (UN) Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric states that approximately 55 people are killed or injured by unexploded ordnance each month, with most being children. A February 6 report from the Security Council also states that there are over a dozen terrorist groups in Afghanistan that pose “a serious challenge to the stability of the country, as well as to the security of Central Asian and other neighbouring states”.

Due to the Taliban’s numerous edicts targeting women’s rights in Afghanistan, women and girls have been hit the hardest by this protracted crisis. Currently, women are banned from most professions and forms of higher education. Women are also prohibited from entering public spaces without the presence of a male relative. Girls receive a limited education and are banned from attending schools beyond Grade 6.

It is predicted that if the Taliban’s edicts remain in place, Afghanistan’s economy could lose up to 9.6 billion dollars, which is equivalent to two-thirds of today’s gross domestic product. According to estimates from UN Women, 30 percent of all Afghan girls have never been to primary school. The removal of women and girls from educational facilities is linked with a 45 percent increase in child maternity rates as well as a 50 percent increase in maternal mortality rates.

The hunger crisis in Afghanistan remains widespread and disproportionately impacts women and girls. Expected to worsen in 2025, continued restrictions on women’s work and education, compounded with frequent climate shocks, has led to shortages in food production and widespread poverty. According to Dujarric, almost 3.5 million children under five years of age and over one million pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to face acute malnourishment.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 65 percent of the population lives in poverty, with large percentages also being susceptible to falling below the poverty line. These populations lack access to basic services such as healthcare, water and sanitation (WASH), and housing.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that roughly 33 percent of Afghanistan’s population faces acute food insecurity. Two-thirds of female-led households struggle with accessing adequate amounts of food. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that approximately 41 percent of Afghan children suffer from stunted growth, which is largely an irreversible effect of malnutrition.

On March 10, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, briefed the Security Council on the current conditions in Afghanistan and how decreases in U.S. funding could exacerbate the humanitarian situation.

On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration had cancelled 83 percent of all USAID programs. “The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” said Rubio in a statement shared to X (formerly Twitter).

With the Taliban offering little to no government assistance and not establishing a self-sufficient economy in Afghanistan, the nation has historically been heavily dependent on foreign aid to stay afloat. These cuts in funding are projected to deal a significant blow to economic assistance for millions of Afghan people.

“The defunding of assistance is already having and will continue to have a significant impact on the Afghan people. In the past month, more than 200 health facilities have closed, impacting some 1.8 million people, essential malnutrition services for children have been limited and implementing partners have significantly reduced their footprint and coordination capacity. Lives and livelihoods will be lost and development gains further eroded,” said Otunbayeva.

According to a press statement from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the cuts in foreign aid to Afghanistan will significantly limit access to basic services. It is estimated that over 9 million people will lose access to health and protection services in 2025. Roughly 600 mobile health teams from both mental and physical healthcare centers will be at limited capability as well.

Women and girls will bear the brunt of the consequences of reduced foreign aid in Afghanistan. UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Pio Smith stated that between 2025 and 2028, there will be 1,200 additional maternal deaths and 109,000 additional accidental pregnancies as a result of aid cuts.

“Every two hours, a mother dies from preventable pregnancy complications, making Afghanistan one of the deadliest countries in the world for women to give birth. Without UNFPA’s support, even more lives will be lost at a time when the rights of Afghan women and girls are already being torn to pieces,” said Smith.

Afghanistan’s development will also take a substantial hit from a reduction of foreign aid from the US. According to the World Bank, Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries. Despite the nation showing signs of growth in 2024, the economy remains fragile. A report from the Center for Global Development (CGD) states that Afghanistan is projected to experience a 7 percent setback in terms of economic development.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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