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Emergency aid isn’t enough. Only smart investment in livelihoods and water can stop the crisis from spiralling.

ISLAM QALA, AFGHANISTAN – JULY 2: Farahnaz, 5, waits for assistance with her family which was recently deported from Iran, with the few belongings they were able to bring with them, on July 2, 2025, in Islam Qala, Afghanistan. With no permanent home to return to, many returnees are desperate for help but NGOs and UN agencies are unable to provide enough. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 256,000 Afghans returned from Iran last month ahead of a July 6 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. Returnee numbers surged, hitting a peak of 43,000 in a single day on July 1. UN agencies and NGOs have warned that critical funding shortfalls are hampering aid efforts at the overwhelmed border. The number of Afghans in Iran had grown significantly since the Taliban regained control in 2021, but recent forced returns—fueled in part by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran—are straining humanitarian resources. Aid organizations inside Afghanistan are also struggling due to cuts in foreign funding, including the suspension of key USAID programs. (Photo by Elise Blanchard/Getty Images)

Three years after the Taliban takeover, aid in Afghanistan is still mostly geared towards survival not resilience.

People walk near their damaged homes after heavy flooding in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan Saturday, May 11, 2024. Flash floods from seasonal rains in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan killed dozens of people on Friday, a Taliban official said. (AP Photo/Mehrab Ibrahimi)