Qatar calls for shift from humanitarian aid to economic recovery in Afghanistan

The United Nations has warned that 19.2 million people in Afghanistan could face acute food insecurity during the winter lean season from November 2026 to April 2027, including five million people expected to experience emergency levels of hunger.

Olga Cherevko, a UN humanitarian spokesperson in Afghanistan, presented the figures during a press briefing in Geneva on October 20, citing the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis.

She said 15.9 million Afghans, nearly one in three people in the country, faced acute food insecurity at crisis level or worse between September and October, including 3.4 million in emergency conditions.

Cherevko also warned that more than four million children aged six months to five years are projected to need treatment for acute malnutrition next year, including more than one million expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

According to the UN official, around one-third of nutrition sites across Afghanistan have closed or suspended services, largely because of funding cuts, raising concerns about the consequences for vulnerable children.

Cherevko said that although improved rainfall and agricultural production have supported this year’s harvest, food remains unaffordable or inaccessible for millions of people. She noted that years of drought, economic hardship and conflict have weakened families’ ability to cope with further shocks.

She stressed that humanitarian assistance remains essential but cannot indefinitely compensate for the lack of economic opportunities and basic public services. She called for sustained investment in agriculture, rural livelihoods, local markets, employment, water systems, and health and nutrition services.

The UN official also highlighted the impact of restrictions on women and girls, warning that excluding them from education and employment undermines household incomes, public services and Afghanistan’s long-term recovery.

She cited UNICEF estimates indicating that, if the restrictions continue, Afghanistan could lose up to 20,000 women teachers and more than 5,000 female health workers by 2030.

Cherevko urged humanitarian organisations and other stakeholders to act before winter, including by delivering food assistance, protecting livestock and other productive assets, supporting farmers ahead of the planting season, and maintaining access to essential health, nutrition and water services.

She said that while humanitarian aid saves lives in the immediate term, sustained and inclusive investment in livelihoods, public services and economic opportunities is essential to help Afghan families become less dependent on emergency assistance.

Russian troops have arrived in southern Uzbekistan to take part in joint military exercises with Uzbek forces, with the drills focusing on operations against armed groups in border areas.

The Hamkorlik-2026 exercises will run from October 20 to 27 at the Termez training ground in Surkhandarya province, near Uzbekistan’s border with Afghanistan, according to reports citing Russia’s Central Military District.

The Russian contingent comes from the 201st Guards Military Base, which is stationed in neighbouring Tajikistan, Tajikistan Times reported. The troops travelled more than 300 kilometres through mountainous areas of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in military and specialised vehicles before reaching the training ground.

The convoy included BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers, Ural trucks and specialised vehicles based on KamAZ chassis, according to local media reports. Upon arrival, the Russian servicemen began preparing their equipment for the exercises.

During the drills, Russian and Uzbek forces will practise coordinating operations to detect and neutralise small groups belonging to a simulated illegal armed formation operating in border areas, Uz Daily reported. 

The exercises will involve mountain and assault units, reconnaissance and strike drones, ground-based robotic systems and Mi-24 attack helicopters.

The manoeuvres come amid continued military cooperation between Russia and Central Asian countries, where concerns include security and stability in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Russia and Uzbekistan held Hamkorlik joint exercises in 2025. Their defence ministries also agreed on a military cooperation plan for 2026–2030, according to the Tashkent Times.

The Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced the results of its assessment of 115 private hospitals in Kabul, with two placed in Category A, nine in Category B and 39 in Category C.

Ministry officials announced the results at a meeting in Kabul on Tuesday, saying the accreditation and classification process aims to improve healthcare standards, promote fair competition among private hospitals, increase transparency and address concerns over the cost of medical services.

Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali said the initiative was designed to bring changes to the private healthcare sector and encourage hospitals to compete by improving the quality of their services.

He added that healthcare service rates would also be determined following the assessment, which he said could improve transparency and help ease public concerns over access to medical care.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the IEA’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, said the classification process was introduced in response to public complaints about high costs at private hospitals. He said hospitals were assessed and classified according to their facilities and the services they provide.

Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services, said each hospital’s category reflects its current condition. Hospitals receiving higher classifications should maintain their standards, while those in lower categories should work to meet the required criteria, he added.

Ministry officials said the accreditation process would continue as part of efforts to standardise healthcare services, regulate treatment costs and strengthen accountability among private healthcare facilities. They urged hospitals to meet the established standards and improve the quality and accessibility of care for patients.