Speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting focused on Afghanistan, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said international assistance and engagement with Afghanistan should be re-evaluated because of what he described as the Taliban’s "intransigence" and its denial of basic rights to women.
Waltz drew attention to the size of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), noting that the mission’s budget - which is up for renewal next week - is the largest among special U.N. missions worldwide. He argued that the Security Council should weigh whether continued funding for the mission is justified when "the mission’s female national staff are not even able to go into the office to work," even as he acknowledged an ongoing "humanitarian disaster" in the country.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is severe. Officials from the U.N. World Food Programme report that more than 17 million Afghans - roughly one-third of the population - are confronting acute food shortages, including 4.7 million people who are at emergency levels of hunger.
In remarks to the council, Georgette Gagnon, the temporary head of UNAMA, said Afghanistan faces "urgent" humanitarian needs and that the crisis has been made worse by cuts to funding. Humanitarian agencies are targeting assistance to 17.5 million Afghans in 2026, based on an appeal for $1.71 billion; at present, Gagnon said, the appeal is only 10% funded.
Gagnon also described recent regional dynamics that are deepening hardship inside Afghanistan. She said a nearly two-week conflict with Pakistan has imposed "punishing human and economic costs," and that the war in Iran on Afghanistan’s other border is contributing to rising prices for basic commodities.
Despite the dire conditions, Gagnon pointed to some developments she described as positive, including a Taliban ban on opium poppy cultivation. She cautioned, however, that unless humanitarian needs and rights issues are addressed, Afghanistan risks "once again becom[ing] a driver of regional and global instability in the form of outmigration, terrorism, narcotics and more."
Context and procedural note
The U.N. mission’s mandate is scheduled for renewal next week, making deliberations at the Security Council over both the scope of the mission and the allocation of funds especially consequential. U.S. statements at the meeting emphasized a close review of the mission’s budget and activities in light of restrictions affecting female national staff and broader concerns about the Taliban’s policies.
Key takeaways
- The U.S. urged a careful evaluation of international assistance and engagement in Afghanistan, citing Taliban intransigence and restrictions on women.
- UNAMA currently has the largest budget of any special U.N. mission, and its mandate is due for renewal next week.
- Humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are acute and funding remains far below requested levels, with U.N. agencies saying the 2026 appeal is only 10% funded.