United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) deputy for humanitarian coordination Andrika Ratwatte says United Nations agencies spent $2.5bn in 2025 to address the problems of Afghan refugees, as the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced an emergency winter assistance plan for returnees.

The ministry said Ratwatte met Refugees and Repatriation Minister Abdul Kabir in Kabul on Wednesday, 31 December 2025, to discuss coordination of humanitarian support and “delivering assistance to returning Afghan refugees and resolving existing obstacles related to these efforts”.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the ministry quoted Ratwatte as saying the spending “clearly demonstrates the UN’s commitment to assisting Afghans.” It added that Ratwatte cited UN data showing that “due to the return of refugees, Afghanistan’s population has increased by ten percent in a short period of time.”

The ministry said Ratwatte told the meeting that “through the efforts of Kabul and the United Nations, the situation has been managed well and a humanitarian crisis has been prevented.” He also “emphasized increased cooperation and coordination with Afghanistan’s institutions in the areas of refugees and internally displaced persons,” according to the statement, and said UNAMA would continue joint work to identify needs for the coming year.

The meeting comes as the returning refugee crisis continues. On Tuesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that in 2026, 21.9 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance, warning that the country remains one of the “world’s largest humanitarian crises.”

Afghanistan’s government has said that more than 2.8 million Afghan migrants have returned to the country in the past year, both forcibly and voluntarily.

Abdul Kabir, according to the ministry, thanked the UN for assistance and outlined a winter plan aimed at easing pressure on returnees. The statement quoted him as saying, “Afghanistan has prepared an emergency assistance plan for returnees during the current winter, which will be implemented across Afghanistan.” Under the plan, “in every province, one thousand families will receive food assistance along with cash aid,” it added.

The minister also raised “food and shelter challenges faced by returnees,” the ministry said, adding that UNAMA’s proposals “will be carefully considered.”

Copied