KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Up to 8,000 people are returning to Afghanistan each day via the Torkham border crossing, and about 20% of them are children, UNICEF warned on Sunday.
The UN children’s agency said many of the returnees, including unaccompanied minors, arrive exhausted, vulnerable, and in urgent need of basic support.
In response, UNICEF has distributed over 5,700 hygiene kits at the border, funded by the People’s Republic of China. Each kit contains 14 essential items such as soap, shampoo, reusable sanitary pads, and water containers to help prevent disease and promote dignity.
“This support is a lifeline for children and families returning to extremely vulnerable conditions,” a UNICEF spokesperson said, noting that Afghanistan continues to face severe water shortages, recurring disease outbreaks, and growing displacement.
Beyond hygiene kits, UNICEF is providing clean drinking water to more than 42,000 families through water trucks and permanent wells, and has installed nearly 200 toilets at reception centres. More than 40,000 people have also participated in hygiene awareness sessions focused on handwashing, water safety, and menstrual hygiene.
The assistance is part of a wider partnership between UNICEF and the Government of China launched in late 2023 in a bid to support over 28,500 households across Afghanistan.
Last year, UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs reached nearly 690,000 people with safe drinking water and over 500,000 with access to basic sanitation.
Pakistan, which has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, has escalated deportations since November 2023. Thousands of Afghans are being sent back daily to a country already overwhelmed by humanitarian crises and restricted freedoms under Taliban rule.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1.6 million Afghan refugees will be repatriated from Pakistan in 2025, with 80% expected to return between April and September.
UNICEF has called for sustained international support to prevent further health emergencies among returning families.
