KABUL – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that Afghanistan is unprepared to absorb millions of Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan, as forced repatriations accelerate and humanitarian needs deepen.
In a statement on Thursday, UNHCR said more than 2.3 million Afghans have returned so far this year, many under pressure or compulsion.
“We’re calling for urgent support to meet their most basic needs. The world cannot look away now,” the agency said.
The wave of returns comes amid worsening economic crisis in Afghanistan, where two-thirds of the population already requires humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. International aid has sharply declined since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, leaving public services underfunded and returnees with limited access to shelter, jobs, and healthcare.
Pakistan, blaming security and economic concerns, has announced plans to expel around one million undocumented Afghans in the coming months. Iran has also stepped up deportations, with Iranian officials reporting that 1.2 million Afghans have already returned this year and another 800,000 are expected to be sent back by year’s end.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that nearly four million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan over the past two years, many arriving in a country struggling with unemployment, poverty, and housing shortages.
One of the most urgent challenges for returnees is shelter. Afghan cities have been overwhelmed by the sudden influx, triggering sharp increases in rent and leaving thousands without adequate housing.
Aid agencies warn that without immediate international assistance, vulnerable families will face even harsher conditions ahead of winter.
The mass returns have further strained relations between Kabul and its neighbors. Pakistan has accused Afghan authorities of harboring militants of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while the Taliban rejects the allegations and has criticized the expulsions as unjust.
