The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that Afghanistan is on the verge of a deeper economic and humanitarian collapse as international aid continues to decline, Afintl.af reports.
In a report released ahead of the Berlin Climate Security Conference, the organization stated that if the current trend continues, Afghanistan could lose up to 10% of its Gross National Income (GNI).
According to the IRC, conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan bear the greatest burden of shrinking global funding while receiving the smallest share of climate adaptation finance.
Between 2013 and 2023, development aid to 17 of the world’s most vulnerable countries — including Afghanistan — fell by more than 40%, the report found.
The IRC warned that climate change — marked by recurring droughts, floods, and unpredictable rainfall — is destroying the livelihoods of millions of Afghans. The combination of the climate crisis and declining international assistance has worsened the country’s food security and social stability.
The report also highlights that conflict-affected and fragile states, which together make up just 11% of the world’s population, account for 70% of global humanitarian needs. Yet, in 2022, these countries received only 12% of total international climate adaptation financing.
The IRC stressed that climate finance is increasingly directed toward stable, low-risk countries, leaving crisis-hit regions such as Afghanistan largely deprived of the vital investments needed to withstand the growing climate and humanitarian challenges.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 23, 2025