Severe cuts in international humanitarian funding have forced around 600 health facilities across Afghanistan to close or reduce services, affecting access to healthcare for about four million people, including two million children, according to Save the Children.

The closures have particularly affected remote and underserved communities, where alternative health facilities can be difficult to reach. UNICEF has also warned that funding shortages have forced some health and nutrition centres to scale back or shut down.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that at least 422 primary healthcare facilities, including mobile health and nutrition teams, closed in 2025 following the suspension of US funding and reductions from other donors. The closures reduced access to healthcare for an estimated 3.3 million Afghans and disrupted services including maternal healthcare and family planning.

Afghanistan’s health system remains heavily dependent on international funding. WHO estimates that 14.4 million people will need health assistance in 2026, amid poverty, displacement, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and climate-related disasters.

The funding crisis has also heightened concerns over child malnutrition. Save the Children estimates that nearly four million Afghan children are acutely malnourished, while reduced health and nutrition services are making it harder for vulnerable children to receive timely treatment.

The return of millions of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran has added further pressure, particularly in border areas. WHO has warned that large-scale returns are increasing demand for medical services and overwhelming some health facilities.

Humanitarian agencies are calling for urgent and flexible funding to maintain and restore essential health services, warning that further cuts could lead to additional closures and leave vulnerable Afghans with fewer options for basic healthcare.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday expressed concern over the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s decision to expel Afghan students studying medicine in Pakistan.

The embassy said the decision could have serious consequences for the education and future of students who have legally pursued their studies and are now close to completing their programs after years of effort.

The Afghan embassy called on Pakistani educational institutions and relevant international organizations to protect the educational rights of Afghan students and allow them to complete their studies without interruption.

The embassy also stressed that education, science and human relations should be kept separate from political disputes and that educational and academic opportunities should not be affected by political developments and disagreements.

Amnesty International has condemned the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s decision requiring Afghan medical students in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan, calling it discriminatory and arbitrary.

The organization said the decision would have particularly severe consequences for female Afghan students, many of whom have already been denied access to higher education in Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate’s restrictions on women and girls.

Amnesty said many students have spent years studying medicine and now face the prospect of having their education abruptly disrupted, with limited opportunities to continue their studies elsewhere.

The organization urged Pakistani authorities to uphold the right to education without discrimination based on national origin and adopt a humane and practical solution that would allow Afghan students, including women and girls, to complete their education.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has cancelled the registration of Afghan students at public and private medical universities in the country and has moved to deport them immediately from Pakistan.