UN Warns of Funding Shortages Amid Mass Deportations of Afghan Refugees

Kokcha News Agency: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued a stark warning about its dwindling budget as the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan continues. In a statement on Sunday, August 17, the agency appealed for immediate international assistance to sustain its operations supporting Afghan returnees.

According to UNHCR figures, more than 2.2 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan since the start of this year. The UN has highlighted the severe economic challenges in Afghanistan, where poverty and unemployment are rising sharply, leaving over half of the population dependent on humanitarian aid for survival.

Other UN bodies have also expressed concern over the collective expulsions, noting that many returnees face restrictions and threats under Taliban rule upon their return to Afghanistan. Humanitarian groups have warned that without immediate funding, assistance programs for returning Afghans could collapse, leaving millions without access to food, shelter, and basic services.

The crisis underscores the urgent need for a coordinated international response, as both the expulsion of Afghan migrants and the worsening humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan continue to escalate.

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