UN: Kabul Holds 40% Of Afghanistan's Urban Population

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has revealed that Kabul is home to more than 40 percent of Afghanistan's entire urban population, underscoring the city's rapid and uneven growth.

According to the agency, four out of every five Kabul residents live in informal settlements, areas that lack proper infrastructure and are highly vulnerable to environmental hazards.

UN-Habitat warned that these communities face increasing risks from extreme weather events driven by climate change, placing millions in danger.

The organisation stressed that immediate action is needed to strengthen climate resilience and address the unsafe living conditions that dominate the Afghanistan's capital.

The report also noted that most returnees to Afghanistan are forced to settle in these informal areas, which often lack basic services such as healthcare and sanitation.

With so many residents deprived of essential resources, Kabul's fragile housing situation has become both a humanitarian and environmental challenge.

UN-Habitat's findings highlight the urgent need for investment in infrastructure, climate adaptation, and essential services - or Kabul's most vulnerable citizens will remain trapped in cycles of risk and deprivation.

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