The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has issued a stark warning that the country faces a rapidly unfolding humanitarian emergency due to a dramatic increase in the forced return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries. Nearly 949,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan in the first half of 2025, the agency reported, including 741,000 from Iran and 208,000 from Pakistan.

In an alert published this week, UNAMA emphasized that without immediate and coordinated international support, the sudden influx could overwhelm fragile border communities and spiral into a broader humanitarian catastrophe.

The return rate surged sharply in June, with more than 283,000 individuals deported from Iran—a figure that UNAMA officials say is directly linked to the recent escalation of conflict between Iran and Israel.

As Tehran tightens domestic security and cracks down on undocumented migrants, aid agencies on the Afghan side of the border report scenes of chaos, overcrowding, and severe humanitarian need.

“We are witnessing an unsustainable level of returns that border communities are not equipped to manage,” a senior UNAMA official said. “Without immediate and sustained support, the situation could spiral into a humanitarian disaster.”

Unlike previous waves of returnees—which largely comprised single adult men—over 60% of returnees in 2025 are now families, including women, children, and elderly individuals. Many had lived in Iran or Pakistan for years, and some children have never set foot in Afghanistan.

This shift in demographic has compounded vulnerabilities. Returnees often arrive without shelter, income, documentation, or social ties, and face heightened risks of malnutrition, exposure to disease, and exploitation.

“These are not just returnees. They are people who have nowhere to go,” said one aid worker stationed at the Islam Qala crossing in Herat province. “Many of their villages were destroyed or abandoned during the war. Others are being returned to a country they don’t even recognize.”

Border provinces buckling under pressure

Afghanistan’s western border provinces, particularly Herat and Nimroz, are under extraordinary pressure. With limited access to potable water, electricity, healthcare, and housing, local authorities and humanitarian partners are struggling to accommodate the daily flow of returnees.

Local aid officials have warned of rising tensions between host communities and returnees as competition for food, shelter, and jobs intensifies. In some areas, informal tent settlements have sprung up, with little access to basic services or protection.

In its statement, UNAMA urged donor governments, humanitarian organizations, and international financial institutions to step up their support and immediately mobilize resources.

The agency warned that a failure to respond quickly and at scale risks triggering widespread displacement, food insecurity, and public health emergencies.

The mission also emphasized the need for sustainable reintegration support, including access to education, job creation, psychosocial care, and legal assistance to help returnees rebuild their lives and prevent secondary displacement.

The warning comes as Afghanistan remains gripped by overlapping crises: the long-term effects of conflict, a fragile economy, widespread poverty, and minimal diplomatic recognition under the Islamic Emirate-led government. According to the UN, 28.3 million people—over two-thirds of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2025.

International funding for Afghan aid efforts has declined in recent years, with many donor governments limiting engagement due to political tensions with the IEA. As a result, humanitarian operations across the country are severely underfunded, forcing agencies to cut food rations and scale back essential health and education services.

“We need urgent support to stabilize this situation,” said a UNAMA spokesperson. “The international community cannot look away while hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families are being pushed over the edge.”