KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 25 million Swiss Francs (approximately $30 million) to support Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan.
In a statement released on Friday, the IFRC said that nearly one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan over the past 18 months. April alone saw nearly 145,000 returns—an eightfold increase compared to February.
“Upon return, many of these people are confronted with dire conditions, including overcrowded temporary shelters accommodating up to four families in one tent,” the IFRC said. It warned that the sharp surge in returns—between 4,000 and 6,000 people crossing borders daily—is overwhelming Afghanistan’s fragile health system, essential services, and food supplies.
The IFRC’s two-year appeal aims to deliver lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable, including emergency shelter, healthcare, clean water, and food. It also includes longer-term support for recovery and reintegration, such as income-generating activities, vocational training, and cash-for-work schemes.
“The appeal funds will be funneled to the most at-risk and vulnerable returnees, including pregnant women, unaccompanied children, the elderly, those with disabilities, and families lacking shelter,” IFRC added.
The organization urged the international community, donors, and humanitarian partners to act swiftly. “This is a critical juncture. Global solidarity can make a life-changing difference for those forced to return,” it said.
Forced deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan have intensified in recent months, with thousands being returned each day to a country facing a worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis.
The UN and human rights groups have urged an immediate halt to the deportations, citing Afghanistan’s deteriorating situation. They warn that many returnees—especially activists, former government workers, and journalists—are at risk of retaliation by the Taliban.
