KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called for increased international support to help reintegrate Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan and Iran, warning that the scale and speed of returns are deepening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.
UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal, speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday, said that about 5.4 million Afghans have returned since late 2023, including 2.9 million in 2025.
So far this year, nearly 150,000 Afghans have returned from the two countries. Jamal said the high number of returns during winter, with freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, is particularly concerning.
“The speed and scale of these returns have pushed Afghanistan deeper into crisis, as the country faces a deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation, a fragile economy, and recurring natural disasters,” he said.
Citing a recent World Bank report, Jamal said the rapid population growth from the returns contributed to a 4% decline in GDP per capita in 2025.
Returnees face significant challenges. Only half have been able to find some form of work, and women face even greater difficulties. Over half of returning families lack official identity documents, and more than 90% live on less than $5 a day.
However, Jamal said many returnees in 2025 have higher levels of education and some work experience, which could help stabilize communities if sustainable livelihood opportunities are available.
He appealed for additional support in 2026 to scale up assistance and invest in reintegration, allowing people to rebuild lives with dignity. UNHCR requires $216 million this year for displaced people and returnees in Afghanistan, but the appeal is only 8% funded as of mid-February.
“This is a critical moment to act while there is an opportunity to find long-term solutions and resolve displacement for Afghan returnees in their homeland,” Jamal said.
He also called on states to maintain access to asylum, protect Afghan refugees, and prevent returns to places where their rights and freedoms are at risk.
Afghanistan’s neighbors, Iran and Pakistan, have hosted millions of refugees over decades. Following the US and NATO withdrawal in August 2021, and the Taliban’s return to power, hundreds of thousands more fled Afghanistan. Recent anti-migration policies in both countries have led to the deportation of millions, including activists, journalists, and women.
The mass returns are occurring at a time when Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. More than half of the population relies on international aid, and women and girls continue to face unprecedented restrictions on their basic rights, including access to education and employment.
