The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says the return of millions of Afghans in 2025 has further complicated Afghanistan’s challenges as the country continues to grapple with instability and recurring natural disasters.

In a report released on Monday, December 29, UNDP said many returnees have arrived without assets, shelter, or employment opportunities, leaving them highly vulnerable.

The agency noted that returnees across Afghanistan are facing serious difficulties in securing livelihoods and meeting the basic needs of their families, adding pressure to already fragile communities and public services.

To support returnees, the United Nations said it is implementing a joint project titled “Durable Solutions” in eastern Afghanistan with support from the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA). According to UNDP, the multi-agency initiative involves nine UN agencies and aims to strengthen access to essential services, promote sustainable income-generating opportunities, and implement programs focused on women’s empowerment.

The project comes amid growing concerns over funding shortfalls. The United Nations has previously warned that due to reduced financial support, widespread poverty, and ongoing economic challenges, a large portion of Afghanistan’s population is expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

A new United Nations report highlights the economic challenges faced by farmers in northern Afghanistan following bans on opium cultivation. Surveys in Badakhshan, Balkh, and Kunduz provinces show that 85 percent of households have been unable to compensate for lost income, leaving communities in urgent need of economic support.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted that in Badakhshan and Balkh provinces, nearly 95 percent of former opium farmers reported halting cultivation due to legal restrictions. Most have turned to wheat and other grains as alternative crops.

The report also highlighted that climate change is also threatening agriculture livelihoods in Afghanistan. Surface water remains source of irrigation for 65 percent of poppy cultivating villages and for 88 percent of other villages.

The UN report emphasizes the urgent need for targeted livelihood programs, including access to water, credit, and market opportunities for alternative crops.

Afghanistan’s Interior Minister, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Sunday welcomed recent remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, praising a statement by a gathering of religious scholars in Kabul that stressed on avoiding use of Afghan soil against other countries.

Speaking at a ceremony honoring Kabul’s mayor, Haqqani also commended a separate statement by Pakistani religious scholars in Karachi, urging both governments to resolve their differences through dialogue.

“We would appreciate it if positive engagement and efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries continue,” Haqqani said. He called on Pakistan to support Afghanistan’s rebuilding rather than pursue destabilizing activities and reassured the international community that Afghan soil would not be used against any other nation.

Tensions between the two neighbors remain high, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan-based militants of carrying out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul denies the charges, emphasizing it cannot be held accountable for security incidents inside Pakistan. The two sides also clashed fiercely in October, resulting in dozens of casualties.