KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Stephanie Loose, head of the UN Habitat programme in Afghanistan, has called for urgent international funding to assist Afghans returning from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Friday, Ms Loose described the situation as an unprecedented and serious crisis. She said many returnees have nowhere to go as they have never lived in Afghanistan.
“Sixty percent of those returning are under 18,” Looz said. “They lack social ties and networks, putting them at high risk of negative coping mechanisms.”
She stressed that reintegrating large numbers of displaced people is a humanitarian challenge requiring systematic and locally based solutions.
Ms. Loose called for urgent action to provide adequate housing, essential services like water and sanitation, and sustainable livelihood opportunities to help families live with dignity.
“Humanitarian aid at border points is important, but the real challenge lies ahead,” she warned. “Don’t forget Afghanistan, even though active fighting has subsided. Don’t forget the people, especially women and girls.”
Despite international calls to stop deportations, Iran and Pakistan continue mass expulsions of Afghan refugees, sending thousands daily to impoverished, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 4 million Afghans have returned from these countries over the past two years, including over 1.5 million in 2025 alone.
The IOM described this as one of the largest return movements in recent history and warned that Afghanistan faces increasing pressure, with more deportations expected, particularly from Pakistan.
Without regional cooperation and urgent international support, the IOM cautioned that the crisis could escalate into a wider humanitarian disaster with severe consequences for Afghanistan and the region.
