More than 700 primary health care facilities have closed in Afghanistan amid sharp international funding cuts, a senior United Nations official said on Friday.
Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, stated at a New York press briefing that the closures represent 40 percent of primary care centres between 2025 and 2026.
Lemarquis said ongoing restrictions by the Taliban administration against women and girls have sharply limited access to education and work while intensifying the country's diplomatic isolation.
He highlighted a severe humanitarian funding shortfall, noting international aid dropped from two billion dollars in 2023 to 570 million dollars in 2026.
The UN official noted that approximately 6.7 million Afghans have returned from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan since 2023, placing massive strain on public infrastructure.
He also warned that poverty and declining aid could push farmers back toward poppy cultivation and destabilise regional migration patterns if global support diminishes.
Source: UN Press Briefing in New York
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