CommunicationPublished on 24 March 2026

One year in Kabul: Switzerland strengthens its humanitarian presence

The Swiss humanitarian office in Kabul has now been operational for one year. This milestone offers an opportunity to take stock: by re-establishing a humanitarian presence on the ground, Switzerland has strengthened its engagement in one of the world's most complex crisis contexts. In view of growing needs, restricted women's rights and large-scale return movements, Switzerland remains a reliable partner for the Afghan people.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is marked by structural and systemic challenges, including a lack of essential services, a strained economy, and recurring climatic and seasonal shocks, such as floods and prolonged droughts, as well as ongoing security instability and cross-border military tensions.

In 2026, an estimated 22.9 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance. Following the 2021 evacuation, in March 2025 the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) reopened its humanitarian office in Kabul. Switzerland has continued to operate in Afghanistan even after 2021, continuing to implement its programme and overseeing activities from the Swiss representation in Islamabad. Since reopening the office in Kabul, and against the backdrop of a protracted humanitarian crisis, severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls, and the large-scale return of Afghans from neighbouring countries, Switzerland has reinforced its operational proximity, adapted its programmes to the needs of the population, and strengthened its capacity to coordinate with the international community, implementing partners, and local communities. “Our presence in Kabul enables us to remain close to the population, support our partners more effectively, and uphold humanitarian principles even in an extremely challenging environment,” says Eric Marclay, head of the Swiss humanitarian office in Kabul.

• Switzerland's humanitarian engagement in Afghanistan and the opening of the SDC office in Kabul

  

  View of Kabul city centre. — © SDC

  With the opening of its new humanitarian office in Kabul in March 2025, the SDC reaffirmed Switzerland's long-term commitment to the Afghan people. At a time of protracted crisis, institutional fragility, and economic contraction, the establishment of a permanent humanitarian presence in the capital strengthens operational proximity, contextual knowledge, and coordination capacity.

  Switzerland's engagement in Afghanistan is rooted in three mutually reinforcing pillars:

  • humanitarian assistance – emergency support in food security, health, protection, water and sanitation, and shelter;
  • resilience and livelihoods – safeguarding basic services, supporting income-generating activities, and maintaining essential community infrastructure;
  • protection and advocacy – with particular attention to vulnerable groups, including women, children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and returnees.

  Swiss assistance is delivered primarily through multilateral partners, international NGOs, and selected local organisations, ensuring principled action under humanitarian standards of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) remain key pillars of the humanitarian response, supporting life-saving assistance and essential services across the country, with over 30% of funding channelled to local actors. The SDC contributes to both funds and participates in their steering bodies, helping to reach millions of Afghans – around 9 million through the AHF and over 17 million through the ARTF. The SDC also supports the WFP's food assistance and famine-prevention efforts, including a USD 9.2 million contribution to expand emergency response and UNHAS access to earthquake-affected areas in Kunar Province.

  The impact of Switzerland's work is tangible at community level. Swiss-funded programmes contribute to:

  • access to primary health care in underserved provinces;
  • maintenance of irrigation systems and rural infrastructure;
  • cash-based interventions supporting household food security;
  • protection services for women and children at risk.

  The Kabul office enhances Switzerland's ability to monitor programmes directly, ensure fiduciary oversight, coordinate with UN agencies and other donors, and engage in whole-of-government (WoGA) approaches, linking humanitarian action, migration policy, and regional diplomacy.

• The situation of women and girls

  

  The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund supports community-based education classes in Herat Province. — © OCHA

  The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan remains one of the most severe gender rights crises globally. Since 2021, restrictions have progressively curtailed access to secondary and tertiary education, formal employment, freedom of movement, and participation in public life.

  Women face:

  • severe limitations in education beyond primary level;
  • barriers to employment in many sectors;
  • restricted access to public spaces and decision-making forums;
  • increased exposure to poverty, early marriage, and gender-based violence.

  The exclusion of women from economic life has macroeconomic consequences. International financial institutions estimate that limiting women's participation significantly reduces national GDP and deepens household vulnerability.

  Switzerland places gender equality and women's rights at the centre of its engagement in Afghanistan. Despite operational constraints, Swiss-supported programmes aim to:

  • maintain access to basic health and protection services for women and girls;
  • support women-led livelihoods where feasible;
  • ensure women's participation in community-based structures;
  • consistently advocate respect for fundamental rights in international forums.

  The SDC supports various stakeholders and mechanisms which promote human rights and gender empowerment. Thanks to the SDC-sponsored UN Women project ‘Rebuilding the Women's Movement in Afghanistan’, 140 women-led organisations received core and project grants to deliver vocational training, literacy, and basic skills courses – strengthening women's mental health, resilience, and community support. The SDC also supported Afghanistan's first-ever Gender Index, assessing women's empowerment across the country. An additional top-up to this grant after the Kunar earthquake allowed UN Women to implement a targeted emergency response for women and girls affected by the earthquake.

  The presence of the Swiss humanitarian office in Kabul enables sustained advocacy, closer engagement with partners, and stronger monitoring of gender-sensitive programming. While the scope for action is restricted, maintaining principled engagement remains essential to prevent the further erosion of rights.

• The return of 2.7 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in 2025

  

  Since October 2023, over 5.4 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries. — © UNHCR

  In 2025, Afghanistan faced an additional structural shock: the return of approximately 2.7 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in less than a year, bringing the total to 5.4 million since 2023. These returns – some voluntary, others driven by deportations or legal uncertainty – place immense pressure on already fragile local systems.

  Returnees often arrive with:

  • limited financial resources;
  • no secure housing;
  • weak access to documentation;
  • minimal livelihood opportunities.

  The influx exacerbates internal displacement patterns and strains host communities struggling with unemployment, drought, and limited public services. Urban centres and border provinces are particularly affected.

  This large-scale return movement has three strategic implications:

  • humanitarian pressure – increased shelter, food, health, and protection needs;
  • migration governance – regional coordination with Iran and Pakistan becomes essential;
  • stability risks – socioeconomic marginalisation may contribute to renewed internal mobility or onward migration.

  The SDC supports the UNHCR's protection and assistance programmes for displaced persons and returnees in Afghanistan, contributing to emergency shelter, cash assistance, protection services, and access to essential basic services such as health care, education, and civil documentation. In a context marked by protracted displacement and large-scale returns from neighbouring countries, this support is critical to ensuring that internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugee returnees, and vulnerable host communities can meet their immediate needs while restoring a degree of stability and dignity. Swiss funding enables the UNHCR to provide legal counselling and documentation support, prevent and respond to gender-based violence, and assist families in accessing land, housing, and livelihood opportunities.

  Beyond immediate relief, Switzerland's partnership with the UNHCR aims to promote sustainable reintegration and durable solutions. This includes strengthening community-based protection mechanisms, supporting local authorities in service delivery, and fostering social cohesion between returnees and host communities. Through its engagement, Switzerland contributes to reinforcing local capacities, upholding international protection standards, and addressing the structural drivers of displacement in a principled and coordinated manner.