The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) calls on the international community to urgently increase funding to protect more than 1.4 million people who have returned or been forced to return to Afghanistan so far this year, including more than 1 million from Iran.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported a significant surge in the number of Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan in recent months, marking a sharp departure from previous trends.
The UNHCR said that its response in Afghanistan this year is only 28% funded.
According to the agency, daily returns from Iran have increased significantly after 13 June, with the highest number recorded on 1 July, when more than 43,000 individuals crossed the border back into Afghanistan. This figure represents a dramatic rise compared to the January–June daily average of 5,000 returns.
Meanwhile, returns from Pakistan began accelerating earlier in the year, with nearly 150,000 people making the journey back to Afghanistan in April alone.
Another UN agency - the International Organization of Migration - stated on Monday that nearly 450,000 Afghans had returned from Iran since the beginning of June following a directive by Tehran for undocumented Afghans to leave the country by 6 July.
In late May, Iranian authorities announced that all undocumented Afghan nationals must depart by the deadline, a move that could affect up to four million people out of the estimated six million Afghans currently living in Iran, according to Iranian government figures.
The UNHCR has raised concerns about the humanitarian implications of these large-scale return movements, noting forcing or pressuring Afghans to return risks further instability in the region, and onward movement towards Europe.
"Immense challenges lie ahead for returnees, from accessing documentation, housing healthcare and education, to rebuilding their lives in a country they do not know. It is particularly worrying as returns are highly concentrated in just a few areas. Returns mark the start of a difficult journey in a country facing multiple, overlapping crises, and struggling to recover after four decades of instability. For women and girls in particular, life in Afghanistan brings extreme restrictions," UNHCR said.
A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be signed in 2027 or 2028, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, state news...
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokaye...
Investing in children means more than funding schools and hospitals. At a major international summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leaders and experts ...
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be signed in 2027 or 2028, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, state news agency Armenpress reported.
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the plans on 21 October, with major changes to training, oversight and defence capabilities set to begin in 2027.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Iranian officials have stepped up warnings of retaliation amid the threat of renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes, while signalling that a diplomatic solution remains possible if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to rebuilding trust.
Investing in children means more than funding schools and hospitals. At a major international summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leaders and experts called for a joined-up approach to healthcare, education and social protection to improve children's lives.
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