EU Allocates €12 Million to Expand Health, Nutrition and Water Services in Southern Afghanistan

The European Union has allocated €12 million to deliver healthcare, nutrition and water services to more than 347,000 people in southern and southwestern Afghanistan under a programme running until May 2027. The funding is intended to address immediate humanitarian needs in some of the country’s most underserved provinces, where access to basic services remains severely constrained.

The assistance will be implemented by the international humanitarian organisation INTERSOS, in cooperation with Solidarités International and Médecins du Monde. The programme covers 28 districts across Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Helmand, Farah and Nimroz provinces, a region that has been disproportionately affected by conflict, displacement and climate-related shocks. The project runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027 and is expected to indirectly benefit nearly 1.27 million additional people through the services and support provided to affected communities.

Under the programme, 39,175 people are expected to receive emergency assistance in response to disease outbreaks, climate-related disasters and displacement. The initiative aims to prevent avoidable illness and deaths while helping communities affected by crises better prepare for and respond to emergencies. Particular attention will be given to groups facing the greatest barriers to essential services, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with disabilities, and families living in remote and underserved areas. By improving access to basic healthcare, nutrition support and water services, the programme seeks to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of communities that have borne the brunt of repeated shocks.

The funding comes as Afghanistan continues to face extensive humanitarian needs. The European Commission’s humanitarian aid department estimates that 21.9 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance in 2026, and reports that millions lack reliable access to safe water, adequate food and healthcare. The situation is particularly acute in the south and southwest, where drought, displacement and limited infrastructure have compounded existing vulnerabilities.

The EU says its humanitarian assistance is channelled through international organisations and non-governmental partners to reach vulnerable communities, in line with its commitment to principled humanitarian action. Its broader response in Afghanistan focuses on life-saving assistance, access to essential services and strengthening communities’ ability to withstand crises. The €12 million programme is intended to address immediate health, nutrition and water needs in six southern and southwestern provinces, while providing emergency support when disease outbreaks, natural hazards or displacement place additional pressure on local communities. By combining emergency response capacity with longer-term service delivery, the initiative aims to bridge a critical gap in a context where needs continue to outpace available funding.