UN Warns of Humanitarian Crisis as Over 1.3 Million Afghans Return in 2025
The United Nations has issued an urgent appeal for international assistance as Afghanistan faces an overwhelming wave of returnees, with over 1.3 million Afghans forced to return in 2025 alone, straining the country’s fragile humanitarian systems.
Kokcha News Agency – The United Nations has raised alarms over the unprecedented wave of Afghan returnees, with more than 1.3 million forced to return to Afghanistan in 2025 alone.
During a visit to the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva described the humanitarian situation as dire and warned that the country cannot absorb the current scale of returns without immediate international intervention.
Otunbayeva highlighted that many of the returns are abrupt and involuntary, driven by mounting pressures in host countries.
The daily influx of tens of thousands of returnees is overwhelming Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian systems, which are struggling with prolonged drought, widespread poverty, and dwindling aid.
“What should be a positive homecoming moment for families who fled conflict decades ago is instead marked by exhaustion, trauma, and profound uncertainty,” Otunbayeva said after meeting with returnee families, aid workers, and local officials.
She emphasized the urgent need for reintegration support, including livelihood programs, basic infrastructure, and community stabilization projects. Without immediate investments, the loss of remittances, rising unemployment, and renewed displacement could worsen instability and lead to secondary migration or regional tensions.
Humanitarian operations in Afghanistan remain critically underfunded, with the UN’s response plan facing major gaps as of mid-July. This has forced aid agencies to make difficult decisions about which life-saving services to prioritize.
Otunbayeva called on the international community, regional governments, and donors to scale up support and coordination efforts. “Do not turn away. The returnees must not be abandoned,” she urged. “We must act now—with resources, with coordination, and with resolve.”
The UN is also calling for intensified regional dialogue, especially with Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asian neighbors, to ensure repatriations are voluntary, safe, and dignified. “Afghanistan’s stability hinges on shared responsibility,” Otunbayeva added. “We cannot afford indifference; the cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and conflicts reignited.”
