Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Afghanistan is grappling with an unprecedented “triple crisis” as a surge of returning refugees, climate disasters, and deep cuts to foreign aid push the country’s humanitarian system to the brink.
Around 2 million Afghans have returned from neighboring Iran and Pakistan this year alone, many expelled forcibly, with daily crossings peaking at 40,000 in July. Many arrive destitute, without shelter or access to basic services, struggling to rebuild lives in a country already strained by economic collapse.
“The people coming back face a kind of new country—they don’t know how to navigate systems, and often arrive without documentation or with it confiscated,” says Mihyung Park, IOM’s chief of mission for Afghanistan. “They need cash, shelter, and opportunities to earn a living. Many want to stay, but the reality is harsh.”
Western aid cuts are worsening the situation. In February, the US froze $1.7 billion in aid, forcing dozens of international organizations to suspend or scale back operations. Humanitarian agencies now face impossible choices, able to assist only 20–30% of the most vulnerable returnees, compared with near-total support just two years ago.
The crisis is compounded by recent earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan that killed more than 2,200 people and left countless others trapped or homeless. Many affected areas remain unreachable, with emergency appeals for $140 million to aid nearly half a million people.
With Afghan authorities struggling to manage the influx and respond to disasters, international agencies warn that without renewed funding, millions of returning and disaster-affected Afghans risk being left without the most basic support.
