UN-Habitat warns of crisis in Kabul’s informal settlements

KABUL(Afghanistan): The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has reported that Kabul now houses over 40 per cent of Afghanistan’s total urban population, with most residents living in unsafe informal settlements, Khaama Press reported.

According to the agency, four out of every five people in Kabul reside in informal areas that lack basic infrastructure and are highly exposed to environmental hazards.

UN-Habitat warned that these communities “face increasing risks from extreme weather events driven by climate change,” placing millions of residents in danger, as cited by Khaama Press.

The organisation said immediate measures are essential to “strengthen climate resilience and address the unsafe living conditions that dominate the Afghanistan’s capital.”

The report further pointed out that most returnees to Afghanistan are forced to live in these informal settlements, which frequently lack healthcare, sanitation, and other basic services.

Highlighting the deepening humanitarian and environmental crisis, UN-Habitat noted, “Kabul’s fragile housing situation has become both a humanitarian and environmental challenge.”

As per Khaama Press, the agency emphasised that without urgent investment in infrastructure, climate adaptation, and essential services, “Kabul’s most vulnerable citizens will remain trapped in cycles of risk and deprivation.”

Reflecting the consequences of this deepening crisis, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that measles has killed at least 357 children in Afghanistan in the first half of 2025, with over 12 million children now in urgent need of assistance.

Between January and June, over 74,800 suspected measles cases were reported, with nearly 80 per cent affecting children under the age of five. Other preventable illnesses such as severe diarrhea and pneumonia are also rampant, adding to the health burden on children and families, Khaama Press reported.

UNICEF also highlighted one of the world’s worst child malnutrition crises unfolding in the country. The agency said, “3.5 million children in Afghanistan are acutely malnourished, and 1.4 million are at immediate risk of death.”

The situation is being further exacerbated by mass deportations from Iran. From January to June, over 714,000 Afghans returned to the country, of whom 99 per cent were undocumented and 70 per cent were forcibly expelled. These returns have overwhelmed border communities and put additional pressure on already fragile services, according to Khaama Press.

UNICEF projects that by October, 9.5 million people–approximately one-fifth of Afghanistan’s population–will be facing “crisis” or “emergency” levels of hunger.

In response, the agency has appealed for $1.2 billion in funding for its 2025 operations but warned that only 51 per cent of the required funds have been secured so far. Khaama Press reported that this shortfall threatens to disrupt critical, life-saving programs for children and families.

UNICEF has issued an urgent call for sustained international support, warning, “Without immediate action, Afghanistan will face countless preventable deaths and worsening suffering among its most vulnerable, particularly children and women.” (ANI)