The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that Afghanistan’s maternal healthcare system is facing mounting pressure as humanitarian needs continue to grow, leaving millions of women and girls at risk of losing access to essential health services.

In its Afghanistan Humanitarian Update for June 2026, OCHA said more than 10.7 million women and girls are expected to require humanitarian assistance this year, making them among the populations most severely affected by the country’s prolonged humanitarian crisis.

The agency said ongoing restrictions affecting women’s movement, education and employment, coupled with economic hardship and declining humanitarian funding, have significantly reduced access to healthcare and other essential services while increasing protection risks and deepening vulnerabilities.

According to OCHA, Afghanistan continues to have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. The agency estimated that the country recorded 638 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2024 — the highest rate in Asia and the seventh highest globally.

OCHA said the situation has been exacerbated by shortages of female healthcare workers, inadequate funding, limited supplies of essential medicines and gaps in emergency obstetric and neonatal care. These challenges are contributing to preventable deaths among mothers and newborns, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities where access to medical facilities remains limited.

The UN agency also warned of the long-term impact of restrictions on girls’ education, saying they threaten the future of Afghanistan’s healthcare workforce. Citing UNICEF estimates, OCHA said the country could lose more than 25,000 female teachers and health professionals by 2030 if current restrictions remain in place, potentially worsening shortages of female doctors, nurses and midwives.

During a recent assessment mission to Bamyan Province, OCHA highlighted the growing burden on local health facilities. Bamyan Provincial Hospital, the province’s main referral centre, continues to provide critical maternal and newborn services and houses the area’s only neonatal intensive care unit. However, the hospital is struggling to meet increasing demand with limited resources.

The agency said many expectant mothers arrive only after developing serious pregnancy-related complications because of long travel distances, poor road infrastructure and a lack of reliable referral services, reducing the chances of timely treatment.

OCHA called for sustained international support to strengthen Afghanistan’s fragile health system, warning that continued investment in maternal and newborn healthcare will be essential to reducing preventable deaths and ensuring that women, particularly those in remote areas, can access life-saving medical services.

India has reaffirmed that the Kabul-Delhi air corridor remains fully operational, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of commercial goods between Afghanistan and India despite ongoing regional trade and transit challenges.

Speaking at a press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the air corridor continues to facilitate trade between the two countries and remains an important link for Afghan exports and imports.

Jaiswal’s remarks followed the recent visit to India by Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Ataullah Omari, who held talks aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and expanding bilateral trade.

According to the Indian foreign ministry, Omari met with India’s Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Food Processing Industries and senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs. The discussions focused on boosting agricultural collaboration, enhancing food processing initiatives and exploring opportunities to increase trade between the two countries.

The Kabul–Delhi air corridor has played a significant role in maintaining commercial ties since its launch in 2017, allowing Afghan exporters to ship high-value products such as fresh and dried fruits, nuts, saffron and medicinal herbs directly to Indian markets while reducing reliance on overland transit routes.

India has increasingly sought to preserve its economic relationship with Afghanistan by supporting alternative trade and connectivity channels. In addition to humanitarian assistance, New Delhi has continued to engage with Afghan authorities on issues related to trade, agriculture and development, despite broader regional logistical challenges.

The latest discussions underscore both countries’ interest in expanding economic cooperation and ensuring that trade continues uninterrupted, with agriculture remaining a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.

Spain produced a commanding display to defeat France 2-0 on Tuesday, securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final with a disciplined performance that underlined their status as one of the tournament’s standout teams.

The reigning European champions struck once in each half and frustrated France’s star-studded attack throughout the contest at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead in the 22nd minute, calmly converting a penalty after teenage winger Lamine Yamal was brought down in the penalty area. The breakthrough rewarded Spain’s early dominance and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

France, who entered the semi-final as one of the tournament favourites after scoring 16 goals in six matches, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against Spain’s organised defence. Captain Kylian Mbappé, the competition’s leading scorer heading into the match, was closely marked and denied the space that had fuelled France’s impressive run to the last four.

Spain doubled their advantage early in the second half when right-back Pedro Porro finished off a flowing team move after combining with Dani Olmo, leaving France with a mountain to climb.

Despite increasing the pressure in the closing stages and making several attacking substitutions, France were unable to find a way through Spain’s resolute defence, which has conceded just one goal throughout the tournament.

The victory extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run and sends La Roja into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. It also continues Spain’s recent dominance over France, having defeated Les Bleus in both the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final and the 2025 UEFA Nations League.

France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, will now turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off.

Spain will face either England or Argentina in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final at New York New Jersey Stadium, where they will bid to win a second world title.