Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday launched an urgent funding appeal to support Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, warning of a growing humanitarian crisis along the border.
According to the IOM, nearly 110,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan between April 3 and May 3, many of them undocumented and in acute need of shelter, food, and essential services. The influx comes amid the second phase of Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” which has led to an intensified wave of deportations.
The IOM said the appeal is intended to provide immediate assistance to returnees in border areas such as Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces, where aid agencies are struggling to meet rising needs due to limited funding and severe living conditions.
“Most of the people returning to Afghanistan are in a state of acute vulnerability, having been forced to leave behind their homes, possessions, and jobs,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations. “We urge the international community to step up and support efforts to address this unfolding crisis.”
The organization estimates that between 600,000 and 1.5 million Afghan returnees could require assistance in the coming months, depending on the pace and scale of deportations from neighboring countries.
IOM data shows that in April alone, an average of 3,000 people crossed back into Afghanistan daily through key border points, with women and children making up the majority of returnees. Many arrive with little more than the clothes they are wearing and face overcrowded temporary shelters and poor access to water, sanitation, and healthcare.
In addition to returns from Pakistan, the IOM highlighted continued deportations from Iran. Between January and April 2025, over 265,000 undocumented Afghans returned from Iran — 75% of them forcibly — further straining Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian landscape.
Together with its partners, the IOM has renewed its call for a halt to forced returns, urging all governments to suspend deportations until conditions in Afghanistan are conducive to safe and dignified reintegration.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimates that nearly one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan over the past 18 months, many facing bleak prospects upon arrival.
The IOM’s appeal comes as Afghanistan continues to grapple with widespread poverty, displacement, and economic instability, leaving returnees with few opportunities to rebuild their lives.
