According to United Nations figures, more than 2.8 million migrants have returned to Afghanistan in 2025.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says the influx – mainly from Iran and Pakistan – is adding to the strain on a country already in a fragile state, grappling with the legacy of decades of instability and the impact of recent natural disasters.
UNDP notes that many returnees are arriving with little or no assets or savings, and without secure housing or employment to support themselves and their families.
To address the situation in eastern Afghanistan, UNDP says it is implementing a multi-agency joint program on durable solutions for returnees, funded by the Afghanistan Special Trust Fund (STFA).
According to the report, the joint initiative aims to provide long-term and sustainable solutions for displaced people, enabling them to rebuild normal lives free from the deprivation and discrimination often associated with displacement.
The return of migrants, combined the climate crisis and a decline in global aid, has further worsened Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation.
The World Food Program (WFP) warns that more than 17 million people are facing acute food insecurity this winter, with the scale and severity of hunger and malnutrition continuing to deepen.
