KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations has called for urgent international action to support Afghan returnees, as deportations from neighboring countries continue to escalate.
In a statement Thursday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated that over one million Afghans have returned this year to the country already struggling with a worsening humanitarian crisis.
UNAMA urged the international community to increase funding, warning that current levels of humanitarian aid are only reaching a small portion of those in need.
“Every returnee deserves safety and dignity,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan. “Without urgent support, families face the risk of falling deeper into poverty and despair.”
Ratwatte warned that the opportunity to prevent a full-scale humanitarian disaster is “closing fast,” stressing that returning migrants are joining communities already under severe strain.
“If we cannot support their reintegration,” he said, “we risk triggering a renewed cycle of out-migration.”
Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, echoed the call for action, emphasizing the need for not only emergency aid but also long-term international support. “Sustainable reintegration is essential to end the cycle of instability,” he said. “The time for joint action is now.”
In recent months, Iran and Pakistan have intensified the deportation of Afghan migrants, returning thousands daily to a country grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian and human rights crises under Taliban rule.
According to Taliban authorities, more than 60,000 Afghans have returned from Iran in just the past two days, a significant increase following the recent conflict between Iran and Israel.
Pakistan has also ramped up its deportation efforts, sending thousands of Afghans back daily through various border crossings. The UN estimates that over 1.6 million Afghans could be expelled by the end of the year.
These mass returns occur as Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis, with nearly 23 million people—most of them women and children—relying on humanitarian aid for survival.
