The EU remains physically present in Afghanistan to foster dialogue on the EU’s political priorities and to ensure the EU’s continued support to the Afghan people.

The EU Delegation’s engagement in Afghanistan focuses on the implementation of the five benchmarks laid out in the Council Conclusions from 21 September 2021. These include:

• Allowing implementation of humanitarian operations in Afghanistan in line with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence and full respect of international humanitarian law.
• Promotion, protection and respect of all human rights, in particular the rights of women, girls, children and minorities.
• Establishment of an inclusive and representative government through negotiations.
• Preventing Afghanistan from serving as a base for hosting, financing or exporting terrorism to other countries.
• Safe, secure and orderly departure of all foreign nationals and Afghans wishing to leave the country.

The EU and its Member States’ operational engagement, in the interest of the EU and of the Afghan people, is calibrated to the policies and actions of the Taliban de facto authorities, and does not bestow any legitimacy on it. 

A lasting peace goes hand in hand with the provision of livelihoods and access to basic services for the Afghan people, which is why the EU mobilised approximately EUR 150 million in 2022. The EU’s basic needs assistance focused on the most vulnerable segments of the population, including women and girls, minorities, Internally Displaced Persons and refugees. Of the overall basic needs support, EUR 49 million have been allocated to address repercussions of the Afghan displacement crisis in Afghanistan and in the neighbouring countries.

United Nations agencies and international NGOs are the EU’s main partners in providing basic needs support. The EU’s basic needs assistance to Afghans is under no circumstances channelled through the de facto authorities.

EU humanitarian funding ensures the provision of critical relief assistance to the most vulnerable, with particular view to the needs of Afghan girls and women. 

Interventions focus on:

• emergency food assistance and security
• healthcare
• education in emergencies
• access to clean water and sanitation facilities
• various protection services, including de-mining activities, targeting women and children.

The EU has funded humanitarian operations in Afghanistan since 1994, providing over €1.4 billion in humanitarian funding.

EU humanitarian aid in Afghanistan is exclusively channelled through our humanitarian partners on the ground. The funding strictly adheres to the humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality to ensure it reaches Afghans most in need.