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.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. ...
The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Abdolnasser Hemmati, is visiting Russia to strengthen bilateral monetary and banking relations as Tehr...
Britain has announced an additional £8 million ($11 million) to help Pakistan combat illegal migration, human trafficking and organised crime, while ...
The Netherlands has announced a new €500 million military support package for Ukraine, focused on drones and air defence systems, as Western allies ...
China has condemned new UK sanctions against two Chinese companies accused of supplying materials used by Russia's military, calling the measures ille...
The United Nations Security Council unanimously extended the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 June 2027 in New York on Monday, preserving its humanitarian, rights and political work.
Trade routes through Afghanistan took centre stage in Almaty as the European Union, Central Asian states and the United Nations discussed the country's role in shaping regional security and economic connectivity.
Authorities in the western Afghan city of Herat have arrested at least 30 women for allegedly breaching dress rules imposed by the Taliban, according to the United Nations agency for women’s rights.
More than 500 Afghan prisoners serving prison terms in Iran have been transferred to Afghanistan after their identities were verified, Afghan officials said, as Kabul and Tehran continue a prisoner transfer process.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, according to emergency authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Niño weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026, becoming one of the strongest events recorded in seven decades.
Ukraine has said it struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Moscow region, marking one of the deepest reported attacks into Russian territory in recent months.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Abdolnasser Hemmati, is visiting Russia to strengthen bilateral monetary and banking relations as Tehran and Moscow seek closer financial cooperation amid Western sanctions.
Britain has announced an additional £8 million ($11 million) to help Pakistan combat illegal migration, human trafficking and organised crime, while praising Islamabad's role in diplomacy that helped secure the recent U.S.-Iran agreement.
Kazakhstan will begin routing selected government expenditures worth more than 100 million tenge ($190,000) through its digital tenge platform, expanding the use of the central bank digital currency to strengthen oversight of public spending.
Documentary filmmaker Mikael Silkeberg has said that making a film exploring connections between Scandinavia and Azerbaijan helped him better understand his own mixed Nordic identity.
Three flags, one training ground and a clear message: defence cooperation in the South Caucasus remains firmly on track. Elite special operations units from Georgia, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have gathered in Mukhrovani for the latest edition of the Caucasian Eagle military exercise.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment