The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, has called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to ease tensions and revive diplomatic dialogue, while warning that Afghanistan urgently needs greater international support as millions of Afghans return home.

Speaking during a visit to Kabul and in an interview with Sky News, Salih said prolonged tensions between the neighbouring countries risk creating opportunities for extremist and armed groups to exploit instability, underscoring the need for dialogue and regional cooperation.

He urged both governments to strengthen existing diplomatic mechanisms, including the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran trilateral framework, the Doha process, and a Swiss-backed strategic initiative aimed at addressing challenges facing Afghan refugees.

Salih also highlighted the scale of Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development challenges, noting that more than six million Afghans have returned to the country since 2023, placing additional pressure on already strained communities and public services.

During his visit, Salih travelled with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Alexander De Croo, meeting returnees, host communities, women and girls, and witnessing both the hardships facing Afghans and their resilience.

He said Afghanistan’s long-term recovery depends on stability, inclusion and creating opportunities for all citizens, stressing that the participation of women and girls is essential for sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and social resilience.

While humanitarian assistance remains vital, Salih said emergency aid alone is no longer sufficient to meet Afghanistan’s growing needs.

He called for increased investment in protection programmes, livelihoods, education, healthcare and other basic services to help returnees rebuild their lives and reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance.

“Lasting solutions require UNHCR and UNDP working side by side,” Salih said, urging the international community to maintain its engagement and support Afghanistan’s long-term recovery.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained strained in recent years over border security, militant activity and the mass return of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.

Humanitarian agencies have warned that continued regional instability, combined with the rapid influx of returnees, could deepen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis unless accompanied by sustained international development support.

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have reviewed the latest developments in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, with officials highlighting progress in the ongoing construction work.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said the issue was discussed during a meeting between Minister Hedayatullah Badri and Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Hoja Ovezov in Kabul.

The Turkmen ambassador said the TAPI project is advancing successfully, with 102 kilometers of the pipeline already laid inside Afghanistan. He added that the remaining construction work would continue according to the planned schedule and that all commitments under the project would be fulfilled.

Badri reaffirmed Afghanistan’s support for the pipeline project, assuring that the country would provide the necessary legal cooperation to facilitate its implementation.

The TAPI pipeline is a major regional energy project designed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The planned 1,800-kilometer pipeline is expected to carry up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually, strengthening regional energy cooperation and economic connectivity.

Turkmenistan considers TAPI a key route for diversifying its gas exports, while Afghanistan views the project as an opportunity to boost investment, create jobs, and strengthen regional trade links

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan’s foreign minister, met with Alexander De Croo, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, for talks.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed strengthening cooperation between Afghanistan and relevant UN agencies, the situation of Afghan refugees, humanitarian and development assistance, the needs of returning refugees, alternative livelihoods, and sustainable development programs.