The escalating crisis in the Middle East is worsening Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian and economic conditions, the UN’s top envoy to the country warned in a briefing to the Security Council.
Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said recent airstrikes by Israel and the United States in Iran, along with retaliatory missile exchanges, are having direct consequences on Afghanistan’s stability.
“This conflict is already having an effect in Afghanistan, disrupting trade and increasing the prices of basic goods and fuel, and prompting the return of additional Afghans from Iran,” Otunbayeva said, echoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s urgent call for regional de-escalation.
Otunbayeva noted that more than 600,000 Afghans have returned from neighboring Iran and Pakistan since the beginning of the year, with the pace accelerating sharply in recent days.
Over 10,000 people have been returning from Iran daily in recent days. While local communities and Taliban authorities are trying to manage the influx, the UN warns that safe and orderly returns cannot be sustained without international support.
The UN is preparing for additional cross-border movements in light of growing tensions in the region.
Otunbayeva also provided an update on the UN’s ongoing engagement with the Taliban leadership, who returned to power nearly four years ago.
She described the approach as a “Comprehensive Engagement” strategy aimed at promoting a stable Afghanistan that is reintegrated into the international system and at peace with its neighbors. However, she emphasized that these efforts are not intended to normalize Taliban governance.
“The strategy keeps key concerns—particularly Afghanistan’s international obligations—at the forefront,” she said.
Despite ongoing efforts, progress in Afghanistan remains limited, with no significant improvements in women's rights, inclusive governance, or overall human rights, according to Otunbayeva.
Otunbayeva highlighted ongoing restrictions imposed by the Taliban, especially against women and girls. A law enacted last August—focused on the “propagation of virtue and prevention of vice”—has reinforced state-sponsored exclusion from education, employment, and public life.
Otunbayeva emphasized that the continued ban on girls' education beyond primary school is a stark example of Taliban discrimination and urged its removal, warning that such policies obstruct Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community.
Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also addressed the Council, warning that declining international aid is undermining critical relief efforts in Afghanistan, where half the population requires humanitarian assistance.
“One in every five Afghans is hungry,” she said. “Roughly 3.7mn children are out of school, including 2.2mn girls over the age of 11 who are banned from education.”
Due to budget constraints, 420 health facilities and nearly 300 nutrition sites have been forced to close, affecting millions of people, including acutely malnourished children and expectant mothers.
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, echoed the call for increased international diplomacy, noting that growing instability in the Middle East would “only deepen the hardships faced by Afghan women and girls.”
Despite growing challenges, Bahous praised the resilience of Afghan women, noting their efforts to run underground schools, organize discreetly, and persist with determination even as global support wanes.
The UN is expected to convene upcoming meetings in Doha focusing on counter-narcotics and the private sector, which Otunbayeva said could help build momentum for further multilateral engagement and confidence-building.
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