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The UN established the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan in October 2021 to help address basic human needs across the country– in areas ranging from essential services and basic infrastructure to livelihoods, disaster mitigation and response and advocacy for the promotion of human rights and women’s empowerment. Done in tandem with strengthening links to peace and humanitarian action, the Fund serves as an inter-agency mechanism where donors can channel resources to support the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan.
Status: Active
Latest reports:
Fund established:
The work of the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan is possible thanks to the efforts of . These resources are pooled and channelled to participating organizations to promote joint action and multi-stakeholder partnerships, making a difference on the ground.
The Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan is an inter-agency mechanism and pooled fund for UN joint programming to help address basic human needs in the country. The people of Afghanistan are currently experiencing fragility and multiple challenges, including poverty, macro-economic uncertainty and unemployment, food insecurity drought and heightened exposure to the risk of natural disasters such as floods. Upwards of 28.3 million Afghan people need assistance. More than 6.5 million have been displaced since December 2022.
The primary objective of STFA is to help vulnerable Afghan communities confront such severe socio-economic challenges and heightened insecurity, by enabling the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA), 2023-2025. The fund supports programming in the areas of 1) Sustained Essential Services, 2) Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods, and 3) Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Rule of Law. STFA-supported interventions contribute to women’s empowerment, to durable solutions for returnees and IDPs, and to adaptation to climate change in vulnerable communities. Links to peace and humanitarian action are strengthened across all fund initiatives.
STFA joint programmes complement humanitarian response to meet the needs of people across multiple areas of vulnerability and enhance short-term resilience by preserving the ability of individuals and communities to cope with the impacts of multiple crisis – including economic and climate-change-induced crisis. The Fund will therefore work in complementarity with the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
The STFA Regional Joint Programme portfolio covers all eight regions of Afghanistan (Western, Eastern, Central, North-Eastern, Central Highlands, Northern, Southern, and South-Eastern regions). Four of these Regional Joint Programmes (for Southern, Northern, Eastern and South-Eastern Afghanistan) have received allocations and are currently under implementation. In addition, a sectoral health programme is being implemented in the central region, in support of the second largest pediatric hospital of the country.
The Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan has a two-tier decision-making and coordination structures through the Advisory Board and Steering Committee.
The governance structure of the Fund is led by the Steering Committee (SC), which is chaired by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General/UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and co-chaired by a donor representative. Members of the Steering Committee include representatives of all contributing donors andParticipating UN Organizations; the Fund Secretariat and the Administrative Agent also participate ex-officio. To strengthen coherence and ensure strategic cooperation, the Head of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund Secretariat will be invited as an observer to the SC meetings. The Steering Committee is responsible for providing oversight and exercising overall accountability for the Fund, approving funding priorities, reviewing and approving funding for joint UN programmes, leading resource mobilization efforts, instructing the Administrative Agent to disburse the resources to the Participating UN Organization, reviewing the Fund status and its overall progress, reviewing and approving the periodic progress reports, commissioning reviews and "lessons learned" reports on the performance of the Fund; and approving amendments to the Terms of Reference of the Fund, as required after due consultation with stakeholders.
The Technical Coordination Working Group (TCWG) is composed of representatives of UN agencies and donors. It is tasked to prepare and regularly review/update recommendations for the allocation strategy, including geographic and thematic prioritization criteria, for the consideration of, and final decision by, the Steering Committee. The TCWG, in this process, ensures that prioritization criteria are well informed by actual needs reported from the field, as well as through relevant humanitarian coordination mechanisms (under the Humanitarian Response Plan), with a view to leveraging their needs assessments and ensure complementarities in the prioritization exercise. The Group provides technical guidance and high-level oversight to ongoing projects and makes recommendations to ensure synergies and efficiencies are capitalized across thematic windows and/or regions as much as possible – with a view to minimizing potential duplications and facilitating/promoting collaboration, complementarities, and economies of scale.
The Trust Fund Management Unit (TFMU) is the Fund Secretariat and responsible for operational functioning, as well as provision of technical and management support to the Steering Committee. The Secretariat, hosted within UNDP, is responsible for executing and coordinating all Fund management functions of the Fund; planning and preparing meetings of the Steering Committee; facilitating the work of the TCWG; submitting Fund Transfer Requests to the Administrative Agent; facilitating collaboration and communication between Participating Organizations, facilitating systematic cooperation with the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, developing and updating the Fund's Operations Manual; monitoring, evaluating, and controlling operational risks and programme implementation; consolidating the narrative of annual and final reports and presenting them to the Steering Committee and the Administrative Agent; drafting the resource mobilization strategy; managing and supporting communications, public information, and visibility; liaising with the Administrative Agent on Fund administration issues, and bringing together technical expertise from the participating UN organisations.
The Secretariat also uses informal mechanisms to interact with donors at the technical level to prepare for the Steering Committee meetings. The costs of the Secretariat are charged to the Fund as direct costs. The budget for the Secretariat is submitted to the Steering Committee on a regular basis (every two years, subject to annual reviews) and the Secretariat staffing structure is adjusted by the Steering Committee as per needs and budget availability.
Programme implementation is the responsibility of Participating Organizations. Each organization is programmatically and financially responsible for resources received in accordance with its own regulations, rules, directives and procedures. Indirect costs of the PUNO recovered through programme support costs will be harmonized at 7%. Implementing Partners can receive funding from the Fund through the PUNOs.
Funds are routed by way of a pass-through mechanism. Participating Organizations receive funds through the Administrative Agent, Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) Office. The Administrative Agent is responsible for the receipt, administration and management of contributions from donors, disbursement of funds to Participating Organizations, and consolidation and dissemination of progress reports to donors.
The work of is possible thanks to the efforts of contributors. Since together they have contributed . In the annual contributions amounted to .
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Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan is currently supporting count_projects ongoing projectscount_globalInterregional and count_countries country-specific. This table shows the most recently approved ongoing projects.
All project financial information can be found in the Financials section, including delivery analysis by organization, theme and project; project financial status by country and by theme.
Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan
Contributions to trust funds administered by the MPTF Office are pooled with other partner resources to achieve greater impact and leverage the SDGs. This map provides a geographical breakdown of all investments.
* The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or UNDP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
> $55M 
$55M - $25M
$25M - $5M
< $5M
Budget amounts in US$
We are in the #16Days of Activism, a global call to end violence against women & girls.@UN_STFA stands with Afghan women & girls, supporting protection, essential services & stronger systems.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) November 26, 2025
There is no excuse for gender-based violence. #OrangeTheWorld #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/9lVT0uoKKR
What can one opportunity create?
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) August 17, 2026
Saeeda once sewed clothes from her home. With support from @UN_STFA, she set up a tailoring centre in Kandahar Province, where 100+ women have learned tailoring skills & 20 women are employed.
One opportunity creates many more. #DeliveringAsOne… pic.twitter.com/vZtzugBbkA
“After we received support one year ago, things became much easier for us, and we were able to obtain a packaging machine,” says Heela.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) July 29, 2026
In 2025 alone, @UN_STFA supported 2,656 women to develop businesses or start income-generating activities.
🎥 Watch Heela’s story. pic.twitter.com/YPIYCnrAb6
Safety comes first!
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 26, 2026
In Laghman Province, @UNMAS-supported explosive ordnance clearance created safe ground for communities & PUNOs under @UN_STFA Joint Programme & Projects in Eastern Afghanistan to ensure access to essential services, livelihoods & resilience interventions.… pic.twitter.com/SAzqNbuDJi
Today in Bamiyan Province, @UNESCOAfg & @UNHabitatAf launched #FORSAT, a new @UN_STFA-funded joint project.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 10, 2026
The project will protect Bamiyan’s unique cultural heritage, improve living conditions, strengthen climate resilience & create livelihood opportunities. #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/lEDlx1Y1F8
📹Video highlights from Kandahar, Zabul & Helmand.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) May 5, 2026
We visited @UN_STFA-supported initiatives, including check dams, borewells, MSMEs, drug treatment centres & water systems, etc.
Thanks to our contributing donors & PUNOs for making this impact possible. #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/c00xqaJdmK
How does the UN deliver results in Afghanistan? By working as one.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) April 20, 2026
Find out how in the 2025 UN Results Report! As a pooled fund, @UN_STFA brings UN agencies together to meet basic human needs and bridge the #HDPNexus for long-term resilience.
Read more👉https://t.co/YlbXybCnjB pic.twitter.com/AxM1Tsa2vi
Field mission to Southern Afghanistan.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) April 8, 2026
Visits to Kandahar, Zabul, and Helmand Provinces showcased how @UN_STFA's joint programme with PUNOs delivered integrated, area-based solutions, strengthening resilience & supporting communities in complex settings.#DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/xgny9VTgVj
Thank you, #Italy, for your continued support to @UN_STFA, particularly in strengthening drug treatment centres & drop-in centres that provide lifesaving services & pathways to recovery for those most in need.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) April 5, 2026
Your contribution is making a difference. Grazie di cuore, Italia.… pic.twitter.com/WsGm4d6RGv
What began as a search for work turned into a decade-long battle with drug addiction.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) March 15, 2026
Through the @UN_STFA-supported Drop-In & Drug Treatment Centres, Sabir’s access to testing, counselling & treatment helped him begin a new chapter.
📷Read👉https://t.co/w7iSqaIimm.… pic.twitter.com/xlZlZaUlg0
🎥 This #InternationalWomensDay, we spotlight the voices and stories of Afghan women supported through @UN_STFA initiatives.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) March 5, 2026
Their resilience, determination, and leadership continue to inspire progress, even in the most challenging contexts.
Listen. Support. Amplify.… pic.twitter.com/tV7EJsHP40
No one should lack shelter.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) February 24, 2026
Ajiza returned to Afghanistan eager to rebuild her life. For families like hers, shelter is essential to prevent continued displacement.@UN_STFA & partners, we support returnees in resettling safely & rebuilding with resilience. 🤝#DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/pY9Pq2NYSB
Investing in skills and livelihoods fuels long-term resilience.@UN_STFA, with partners, we provide opportunities to youth, women, & men to start & grow businesses, enabling them to earn a living, support their families & drive socio-economic development. #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/s8ZpJr1oPT
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) February 17, 2026
We are excited to launch "From Crisis to Collective Action: The STFA Experience", a paper showing how @UN_STFA brought UN agencies together to address basic human needs & advance durable solutions through area-based programming.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) January 28, 2026
Read👉 https://t.co/dAuf7uI0I9 #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/6bA2aLsqch
Thank you, Sweden 🇸🇪. The SEK 60M to @UN_STFA scales up essential services, economic and climate resilience for displacement-affected communities, where support matters most. #DeliveringAsOne @Sida pic.twitter.com/nKWQap0ASn
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) January 11, 2026
Welcoming the New Year with renewed commitment and hope. 🎉
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) January 1, 2026
As we step into 2026, we remain dedicated to strengthening collaboration and delivering meaningful results where it matters most; together, for communities across Afghanistan.#DeliveringAsOne #HappyNewYear… pic.twitter.com/Lfqrt7nxPu
2025 was a year of hope and resilience 🌟
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) December 31, 2025
⁰@UN_STFA received $24.7 million, reached over 1 million people, at least 40% being women & girls, marked four years of delivering basic services, economic opportunities, and climate resilience.
Together with partners and communities,… pic.twitter.com/cr8RxI8AuJ
Collaboration enables integrated solutions to reach more people, effectively!@UN_STFA's work is possible because of our contributing partners, PUNOs & the grassroots actors 🙏who finance, guide, inform & sustain every effort. 🤝, we deliver better for Afghans. #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/kg6C1SWCqh
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) December 18, 2025
Two years after earthquakes shattered her school, 9-year-old Sunbul is smiling again. With @UN_STFA & @UNHabitatAf support, disaster-resilient schools in Herat are giving Afghan girls a safe place to dream and learn. 💪🎒
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) November 13, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/LfUIO49oGc pic.twitter.com/ClFbxHG7sy
Honoured to have co-organized a mission with @IOMAfghanistan for @noradno & @NorwayinAFG to Herat & Islam Qala border, where they witnessed #HDPNexus in action as communities rebuild after the 2023 earthquake. Grateful to #Norway 🇳🇴 & all our partners. Watch🎥👇#DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/Glrypg7yIk
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) November 4, 2025
Five provinces.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 27, 2025
One vision.
Stories of hope.
🎥In Southeastern Afghanistan, communities share how their lives have transformed through a UN joint programme funded by @UN_STFA, from clean water & classrooms to livelihoods & climate resilience. 🤝With our partners, we’re turning… pic.twitter.com/gBgewpem9p
.@UN_STFA turns 4 today!🎉
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 20, 2025
Four years of transforming lives.
Four years of restoring hope.
Four years of empowering Afghans to shape their future.
A heartfelt thanks to our donors, UN Agencies & the people of Afghanistan for the journey. #UN_STFAAt4Years #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/GfEjLVQU5R
Climate change is not a challenge of the future; it is a present-day crisis in Afghanistan. @UN_STFA with partners, we support prevention, early recovery, resilient farming & safer livelihoods.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 13, 2025
On this #DisasterRiskReductionDay, we are urged to #FundResilience, #NotDisasters.
Partnership is at the heart of Afghanistan’s recovery!#ThrowBack to our mission to Mazar-e-Sharif that aimed to connect MSMEs with private sector players, to unlock financing, mentorship & market access.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 2, 2025
Watch this👇video📹for more details. #StrongerTogether #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/QUSKiwoXPd
Thank you, Italy, for your contribution of €2M (US$2.3M+) to @UN_STFA.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) September 28, 2025
Your support keeps drug treatment & drop-in centers open for those battling addiction & boosts Afghan women & men with livelihoods to rebuild & sustain recovery.
Grazie mille 🇮🇹 @ItalyMFA_int @italyinafg… pic.twitter.com/elo7q72vJ8
The @UN_STFA 2024 Annual Report is out!
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 16, 2025
🔵1.3M+ people directly supported
🔵48.3% are women & girls 🔵 US$36M+ mobilized
Huge🙏to our donors, UN agencies & implementing partners for your commitment.
Read more in our 2024 Annual Report👉https://t.co/rfLRKkbdVP #DeliveringAsOne… pic.twitter.com/CLMjc6Z2QS
Thank you, Norway 🇳🇴, for stepping up once again for Afghanistan 🙏
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 27, 2025
Your NOK 42 million (US$4.25 million) contribution to @UN_STFA powers real action — scaling up critical services and long-term support where it matters most.
Together, we deliver impact 💪 @NorwayMFA… pic.twitter.com/kPFBP1RW9D
After 10 years of drug dependency, Sabir is now drug-free & rebuilding his life.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 26, 2025
Deported & hopeless, he turned to drugs, until @UN_STFA & @UNODC helped him access treatment & livelihood support.
Every life restored builds healthier communities.#DeliveringAsOne #WorldDrugDay
We were honored to welcome @Sida. They saw the #HDPNexus in action in a joint mission with @OCHAAfg & @UN_STFA.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 25, 2025
Thanks to their support, @UN_STFA delivers life-changing interventions, improving livelihoods & strengthening resilience. Tack🙏, #Sweden🇸🇪. 👉https://t.co/AQb0M1wY8C pic.twitter.com/25FrsE2e7C
2024 was a powerful reminder that when we align around community needs, listen to local voices & work through partnerships, meaningful change is possible, even in the most complex contexts.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 23, 2025
🙏 to our donors & UN partners. More in our 2024 Annual Report👉https://t.co/rfLRKkbLLn
Every refugee carries a story of resilience.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 20, 2025
Like Sarwar, who was once a refugee in Pakistan & had to return back home with nothing but determination. @UN_STFA supports returnees like him & there are many more.
YOU CAN BE THE HOPE. Support our campaign👉https://t.co/a3fyVKpNSS… pic.twitter.com/VETXBUNI82
📢 We’re thrilled to announce the generous support of US$ 30,000 from Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) towards #UN_STFA's Be the Hope 💙 campaign, OMID (Hope).
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 30, 2024
Their contribution is a major step towards expanding partnerships in our mission to help vulnerable Afghans in… pic.twitter.com/gsxlmzCujW
We are thrilled to launch our #crowdfunding campaign, OMID=Hope. Through this initiative, we aim to raise US$ 1 million to support displaced #Afghans by establishing 1,000 local businesses, creating thousands of local jobs.#Donate now to provide displaced Afghans with the… pic.twitter.com/59nZd2VJYt
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 2, 2024
We are thrilled to launch our #crowdfunding campaign, OMID=Hope. Through this initiative, we aim to raise US$ 1 million to support displaced #Afghans by establishing 1,000 local businesses, creating thousands of local jobs.#Donate now to provide displaced Afghans with the… pic.twitter.com/59nZd2VJYt
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) October 2, 2024
The ongoing collaboration of the 17 UN organizations of STFA, with support from 13 donors, #un_stfa remains dedicated to addressing #BasicHumanNeeds and provide support to the vulnerable Afghan community segments, particularly women and girls. STFA pursues durable solutions for… pic.twitter.com/AzyoPlscaw
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) August 27, 2024
Afghanistan risks becoming a forgotten crisis, yet many Afghans face massive & pressing challenges.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) June 27, 2024
Learn how @UN_STFA is working to establish foundations for long-term resilience from STFA Chairperson @IndrikaRatwatte's latest blog. #DeliveringAsOne
👉https://t.co/gU3Y7yyN34 pic.twitter.com/L0WSJVYPWF
Afghanistan risks becoming a forgotten crisis, yet many Afghans face massive & pressing challenges.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan 🇺🇳 (@UN_STFA) June 27, 2024
Learn how @UN_STFA is working to establish foundations for long-term resilience from STFA Chairperson @IndrikaRatwatte's latest blog. #DeliveringAsOne
👉https://t.co/gU3Y7yyN34 pic.twitter.com/L0WSJVYPWF
.@UN_STFA Steering Committee approved crucial interventions to support basic needs of 1000s of Afghan IDPs, returnees & address drug use disorders.
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan 🇺🇳 (@UN_STFA) June 26, 2024
Message from STFA Chair @IndrikaRatwatte on why STFA remains a crucial vehicle for supporting basic needs in AFG👇#DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/x33OqtXzB3
📢Hot Off the Press!
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan 🇺🇳 (@UN_STFA) May 29, 2024
STFA's Annual Report 2023 is out!🌟
Despite challenges, we continue to support basic human needs of Afghans, mainly women&girls.
🙏to our 12 donors🇨🇿🇩🇰🇫🇮🇩🇪🇱🇺🇳🇱🇳🇴🇸🇪🇹🇷🇶🇦🇮🇸, 17 UN organizations🇺🇳,& partners.
Dive in:🔗https://t.co/cMmAJ0SmPH#DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/Ek8X0S9MJa
It is crucial to #InvestInWomen to ensure a brighter future for Afghanistan. On this #InternationalWomensDay, let us commit to redouble our efforts to support women’s empowerment. Click below to learn more about what #STFA does for women across the country. #DeliveringAsOne pic.twitter.com/eeS2T8CFrB
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (@UN_STFA) March 8, 2024
Two years have passed, yet the journey continues, with STFA’s unwavering commitment to #DeliveringAsOne for the betterment of the people of Afghanistan.🌟 pic.twitter.com/aX3SXLJeuk
— Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan 🇺🇳 (@UN_STFA) October 23, 2023
Wadzanayi Mushandikwa, M&E Specialist, Email: wadzanayi.mushandikwa@undp.org
Peter Nordstrom, Trust Fund Manager, Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan, Email: peter.nordstrom@undp.org
Eva Saenz, Portfolio Manager, Email: eva.saenz@undp.org
Sean Chen, Portfolio Associate, Email: sean.chen@undp.org
Margaret Arokium, Finance Associate, Email: margaret.arokium@undp.org
