Five Years of Taliban Rule: UN Warns Afghan Women's Aid Could Halt Amid Severe Funding Shortfalls

As Afghanistan marks five years since the Taliban returned to power, the United Nations has issued a stark warning that funding shortages could force more than half of all operating women’s organisations to shut down within the coming year.

Speaking on Friday, Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s special representative in Afghanistan, urged donor countries to maintain financial support for women’s programmes to prevent further deterioration of Afghan women's living conditions. A recent survey of 74 women’s organisations conducted in April revealed that over half are at risk of suspending operations or closing entirely due to financial instability. Ferguson noted that the UN’s $1.7bn humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan is currently only 25 percent funded, with nearly three-quarters of these organisations experiencing funding cuts in 2025 and roughly two-thirds reporting six months or less of remaining operational funding.

This urgent appeal coincides with the fifth anniversary of the withdrawal of US forces, which led to the Taliban reclaiming power in August 2021 following 20 years of war. Across the capital of Kabul, bright white flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have been raised alongside new murals bearing the inscription: “Independence is a sign of dignity, pride and identity”. While the Taliban marked the occasion with events such as a cricket match, women and girls remain strictly excluded from participating or attending.

Severe Restrictions Facing Afghan Women

Ferguson highlighted that the Taliban has introduced more than 100 decrees curtailing women’s rights since taking control, impacting virtually every facet of daily life including employment, education, freedom of movement, healthcare, and access to justice. Despite prior assurances from the Taliban regarding finding an ideologically acceptable method for girls' education, secondary schools remain closed to girls and universities remain barred to women.

Data from UN Women indicates that over half of 3,200 surveyed women now venture outside their homes merely once or twice a month, while seven out of 10 describe their mental health as poor or extremely poor. In response, a coalition of 56 countries—including Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Lebanon, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates—released a joint UN statement on Friday demanding the Taliban lift its restrictions, condemning the systematic repression of women and girls as a defining characteristic of the current administration.

Wider Societal Challenges

Beyond women's rights, five years of Taliban governance have presented the broader Afghan population with numerous crises. According to the UN World Food Programme, over half of primary school-aged children are out of school, and child malnutrition has reached alarming proportions in one-third of Afghanistan’s provinces. Furthermore, the nation's infrastructure has suffered extensive damage from severe earthquakes and floods that have claimed thousands of lives.

Although data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal indicates that deaths attributed to terrorism have decreased significantly since the Taliban took control, the country continues to face deadly border skirmishes with neighboring nations Iran and Pakistan. Globally, Afghanistan remains largely isolated diplomatically, with Russia standing as the sole nation to officially recognise Taliban rule.