Afghanistan is facing a deepening crisis as mounting regional instability threatens to push the country closer to economic and humanitarian collapse, a senior United Nations official has warned.
Briefing the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Georgette Gagnon, deputy special representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said tensions along Afghanistan’s borders and wider geopolitical conflicts are increasingly undermining the country’s fragile stability.
She noted that deteriorating relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have already caused significant economic and humanitarian strain.
“The conflict with Pakistan has had punishing human and economic costs,” Gagnon said, adding that border closures have disrupted trade and mobility, worsening the country’s already fragile economy.
She also echoed concerns raised by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, over the broader regional escalation and its consequences for civilians. According to Gagnon, the ongoing tensions in the Middle East are beginning to spill over into Afghanistan’s economic and logistical lifelines.
With key trade routes under pressure, the situation has grown more precarious. “With the border closed between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iran provided an alternative trade route that is now also increasingly uncertain due to the ongoing conflict,” she said, warning that instability along Afghanistan’s two longest borders threatens the country’s internal stability.
According to Anadolu Ajansı, the UN official stressed that Afghanistan’s continued isolation from the international system remains the most critical structural challenge facing the country. This isolation, she said, is hindering progress in key sectors including economic recovery, security cooperation, counter-terrorism efforts, human rights protections and humanitarian response.
On the humanitarian front, Gagnon said Afghanistan currently ranks second worldwide in terms of the number of people targeted for humanitarian assistance. Aid agencies aim to reach around 17.5 million people through a $1.71 billion humanitarian appeal in 2026.
However, she warned that the funding gap remains alarming. “This appeal is only 10 percent funded at present,” she told the Council, underscoring the urgent need for additional international support.
Gagnon also criticized the Afghan authorities’ restrictions on female UN staff, saying the six-month ban on national female employees reporting to work has significantly hampered humanitarian operations. The restriction has limited the UN’s ability to deliver aid and engage directly with Afghan women, she said, calling on authorities to lift the ban immediately.
Despite the challenges, Gagnon noted there are still some signs of economic activity. She pointed to large infrastructure projects initiated by the Afghan authorities, saying they could support long-term economic development if completed successfully.
She concluded by urging continued engagement and support from the Security Council, warning that Afghanistan’s fragile situation could deteriorate further amid growing regional instability.
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