2025-26 total Australian ODA [budget estimate]

$50.0 million

2024-25 total Australian ODA [actual]

$55.3 million

2023-24 total Australian ODA [actual]

$70.8 million

Australia's humanitarian assistance

Since 2001, Australia has provided around $1.8 billion in development and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Joint objectives of the Australia-Afghanistan Development Partnership

The overarching goal for the Australia – Afghanistan development partnership is to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain basic service provision for communities affected by the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis. The DPP has two primary objectives:

Objective 1 – Contribute to international efforts to provide inclusive lifesaving assistance

Objective 1 contributes to generating collective action on global challenges that impact us and our region. It responds to the protracted Afghanistan crisis and aims to minimise a further decline in sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators by providing assistance to vulnerable and displaced people – including food, shelter, water supply and sanitation, and emergency health services. It complements Objective 2, particularly in supporting a cohesive health response, and mainstreaming best-practice protection interventions.

Objective 2 – Support the continuation of basic service provision to affected communities with a focus on women and girls

Objective 2 supports the basic needs of vulnerable and displaced Afghans, including through health services, education and protection services. This objective seeks to ensure continued access to services for women and girls, including those with disability.

Climate Change

Afghanistan is highly exposed to the effects of climate change. It is in the top 10 countries most vulnerable and least prepared to adapt to climate change.  Drought and flooding are already the two leading causes of disaster-driven displacement countrywide.

Our climate change priorities focus on building resilience in communities through humanitarian and basic needs assistance, and responding to climate-driven disasters. Australia will continue to focus on humanitarian and basic needs assistance and look for alignment with the climate resilience activities of our partners.

Gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI)

Women, people with disability, ethnic minorities and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community are excluded under the Taliban rule and require specific attention. Obtaining accurate data and up-to-date statistics is challenging in the gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) space, as it is across most indicators. The Taliban does not recognise nor adhere to obligations under international law, and the international community has little leverage to enforce international norms.

This DPP will help respond to the severe challenges faced by women, girls, people with disability and other marginalised Afghan communities. GEDSI is mainstreamed across the Afghanistan program. All investments under the DPP have gender equality and/or inclusion as specific objectives.