UN Warns of Severe Drought and Climate Threats in Afghanistan, Calls for Global Action

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for urgent action to address the worsening impacts of climate change in the country. In a video message on Sunday, Indrika Ratwatte, the UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Humanitarian Coordinator, warned that Afghanistan is already facing severe drought.

Ratwatte emphasized that Afghanistan, as one of the main victims of climate change, heavily depends on a global shift toward sustainable and renewable energy for its future. Decades of war, economic instability, and humanitarian crises have left Afghanistan deeply vulnerable, and it now ranks among the ten countries most at risk from climate change.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed this urgency last Tuesday, calling for a “new energy era” and supporting a fair transition away from fossil fuels to renewables.

The warning from UNAMA adds to repeated alerts from various UN agencies, all emphasizing the growing threat climate change poses to Afghanistan’s communities, economy, and fragile environment. The call for immediate global cooperation is clear—without decisive action, the challenges facing Afghanistan could worsen, but with sustained efforts, the country can still build resilience.