KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Italy has contributed €3.5 million in financial assistance to support returnees in Afghanistan as deportations from neighboring Iran and Pakistan continue to rise.
In a statement on Wednesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) welcomed the contribution, stating that it will be used to assist 25,000 returnees over the next 12 months.
“This funding comes at a critical time as forced returns of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan continue to rise,” IOM said. “Both countries have announced plans to resume mass forced returns in 2025, further intensifying humanitarian needs at Afghanistan’s borders and in key provinces experiencing high return rates.”
Miah Park, IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission, said: “With this support, we can address urgent challenges at the borders and in areas of high return, where communities are struggling to absorb the growing numbers of returnees.”
IOM data shows that in 2024, over 1.3 million people returned to Afghanistan, nearly 67% of whom were forcibly returned, mostly from Iran and Pakistan. “IOM provided vital post-arrival humanitarian assistance to more than 429,000 vulnerable returnees through its reception and transit centers,” the agency said.
Italy’s contribution comes as Afghanistan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis due to natural disasters, funding shortfall, and the growing number of returnees. The UN estimates that more than half of Afghanistan’s population—some 22.9 million people, mostly women and children—require humanitarian assistance this year.
International humanitarian organizations warn that aid alone is insufficient to address Afghanistan’s deepening crisis. They are calling for a long-term, multi-faceted response from the global community, including sustained donor support for basic services, private sector development, women’s empowerment, and livelihood programs.
