Kabul (EFE).- More than 100,000 Afghans were repatriated in the last week through the western border of Afghanistan, amid a growing and serious humanitarian crisis that already has more than a million returnees to the country so far this year.
In recent days thousands of people have crossed the Islam Qala border crossing, the main crossing between Afghanistan and Iran, where Afghan authorities and United Nations agencies register the newcomers before they proceed to their provinces of origin.
According to the Information and Culture official of Herat, Maulvi Ahmadullah Mottaqi, the Refugee Commission is ready to provide basic services such as water, food, and immediate care to returnees.
The recent crisis between Israel and Iran has contributed to the massive influx, which is attributed to a combination of factors: the expiration of residence permits, economic deterioration, and forced expulsions by authorities of neighboring countries such as Iran and Pakistan.
According to the UN representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, more than 10,000 Afghan refugees in Iran returned daily in recent days to their country amid the tension caused by Israel’s bombings.
The United Nations has issued a warning about the humanitarian deterioration in Afghanistan this week.
“Over one million Afghans have returned this year to a country already strained by climate shocks and limited basic services,” the UN warned in a statement on Thursday.
So far this year, more than 605,000 have returned from Iran and 282,000 from Pakistan. According to official figures, 57% of those returning from Pakistan are minors, while 66% of those returning from Iran are adult men.
In 2024, the United Nations assisted three million people in Afghanistan with 183 million dollars. However, funding has decreased in 2025 and current aid reaches only a fraction of those in need.
“Every returnee deserves safety and dignity. But without urgent support, we risk seeing families slide deeper into poverty and despair,” warned the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), most returnees lack documents and urgently need shelter, health care, and protection. EFE
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