KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Over two million Afghans, including more than half a million children, have returned to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan, and other neighboring countries so far this year, UNICEF reports. The agency calls for a safe, dignified, and phased approach to manage the returns, along with increased support for children and families.
Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action, recently visited Afghanistan and saw firsthand the challenges faced by returnees at border crossings like Islam Qala, where tens of thousands arrive daily. He noted that on July 4 alone, over 50,000 people returned from Iran.
“The families I met at the border indicated they looked forward to the future in their home country but were anxious about rebuilding their lives,” Chaiban said. “One common concern was the continuity of education for their daughters beyond grade six.”
Education remains a critical issue, especially for adolescent girls who are banned from attending school past grade six in Afghanistan. Chaiban stressed the wider impact of this ban, noting it denies women access to higher education and employment opportunities.
“Education for all children is at the heart of UNICEF’s mandate,” Chaiban said. “We strongly advocate lifting the ban so girls of all ages can stay in school, work, and contribute to the future of Afghanistan.”
UNICEF also expressed concern for the well-being of unaccompanied and separated children, highlighting the need for protection and family reunification. By the end of July, the organization had supported over 6,000 such children.
UNICEF expressed gratitude to Iran and Pakistan for hosting Afghan migrants but voiced concern over the hardships faced by families undertaking sudden and difficult journeys home.
The agency urges Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to coordinate returns to manage the humanitarian response better and asks donors to increase support for returnees, especially children, both at borders and in communities where they resettle.
Iran and Pakistan have intensified deportations of Afghan migrants, sending thousands back daily to the impoverished and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says over 4 million Afghans have returned from these countries in the past two years.
IOM describes this as one of the largest return movements in recent history and warns that pressure on Afghanistan will grow, with more deportations expected, particularly from Pakistan.
