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IOM warns of escalating crisis as over 4 million Afghans return over past two years

“The situation of returnees is critical,” said the IOM Chief of Mission in Afghanistan, who recently visited border entry points.

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Afghanistan is facing one of the largest mass return movements in its recent history, with more than four million Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan in the past two years, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned.

In a statement released this week, IOM said that since September 2023 alone, over four million migrants have crossed back into Afghanistan, including 1.5 million so far this year. The agency cautioned that Pakistan’s recent decision not to extend residency permits for Afghan refugees could force a further one million people to return in the coming months.

“The situation of returnees is critical,” said the IOM Chief of Mission in Afghanistan, who recently visited border entry points.

“Families are arriving exhausted, homeless, and without basic necessities. We are currently able to assist only one in every ten people in need. This is a situation no one should have to face, and Afghanistan must not be forgotten.”

The return of migrants from Pakistan has accelerated since April, following the government’s deadline for the expulsion of undocumented Afghans. Simultaneously, a fresh wave of deportations and voluntary returns from Iran has gained momentum.

IOM warned that the mass influx is straining already fragile support systems at border areas and return sites, where basic services and economic opportunities are scarce. Many returnees are arriving in provinces grappling with a severe housing shortage, rising rental costs, and limited access to livelihoods.

“Without urgent investment in reintegration, the risk of further displacement remains high,” the statement noted. “Safe, voluntary, and dignified returns are essential, but they require both immediate relief and long-term development support.”

The agency appealed for urgent international funding and regional cooperation to manage the crisis, stressing that without sustained assistance, Afghanistan could face a worsening humanitarian emergency with far-reaching consequences for the wider region.

With winter approaching and humanitarian needs on the rise, IOM urged donors to act quickly. “The urgency for sustained and immediate assistance is greater than ever,” the organization said.

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India sends over 63,000 vaccine doses to boost Afghanistan’s public health system

New Delhi has reiterated that it remains committed to supporting the Afghan people through sustained humanitarian and medical assistance.

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India has reinforced its support for Afghanistan’s public health sector with the delivery of a new batch of essential vaccines to Kabul.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi has supplied 63,734 doses of influenza and meningitis vaccines to Afghan health authorities as part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance program.

Afghan health officials noted that the vaccines will be integrated into national preventive healthcare efforts and will help curb seasonal illnesses while reducing the risk of meningitis outbreaks, especially during periods of heightened vulnerability.

They said the shipment arrives at a time when Afghanistan’s medical resources remain under significant strain.

India has served as a key health partner to Afghanistan in recent years, providing medical supplies, essential medicines, and several rounds of vaccines to help strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

New Delhi has reiterated that it remains committed to supporting the Afghan people through sustained humanitarian and medical assistance.

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Deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics travels to Uzbekistan

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Abdul Rahman Munir, the Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics at the Ministry of Interior, traveled to Uzbekistan this afternoon along with his accompanying delegation.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, the purpose of the trip is to participate in a meeting of member countries of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Drugs (CARICC).

The statement added that the meeting will be held on December 5 of this year in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Imran Khan accuses Army Chief of ‘igniting’ Pakistan–Afghanistan tensions

In his post, written in Urdu, Khan said: “Asim Munir’s policies are disastrous for Pakistan. Because of his policies, terrorism has spiralled out of control, which grieves me deeply.”

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Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has accused Army Chief Asim Munir of deliberately “igniting tensions” with Afghanistan, calling his policies “disastrous” for Pakistan.

The 73-year-old former cricketer, who has been imprisoned since 2023, issued the remarks through his official account on the social media platform X. His statement was shared a day after his sister, Uzma Khan, met him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail following “special permission” granted by the government led by Shehbaz Sharif.

In his post, written in Urdu, Khan said: “Asim Munir’s policies are disastrous for Pakistan. Because of his policies, terrorism has spiralled out of control, which grieves me deeply.”

He further alleged that the army chief’s actions were motivated by a desire to please Western governments, saying Munir had “deliberately ignited tensions with Afghanistan so he could be seen internationally as a so-called ‘mujahid’.”

The founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf added that he had long opposed “drone attacks and military operations against our own people,” arguing such tactics would only worsen militancy. Khan claimed Munir first “threatened Afghans,” then oversaw the expulsion of refugees and the launching of drone strikes, the consequences of which he said were now visible in rising violence.

Khan also launched a personal attack on the army chief, calling him “mentally unstable” and accusing him of presiding over the “collapse of the Constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”

He alleged that, on Munir’s orders, he and his wife had been imprisoned on fabricated charges and subjected to “the worst form of psychological torture.”

Khan said he had been held in solitary confinement for four weeks, with no human contact and without basic entitlements provided under the jail manual. He added that despite court directions, access to political colleagues, lawyers and family members had been blocked.

Referring to an incident involving another sister, Noreen Niazi, he said she was “dragged on the road” while trying to meet him.

Khan praised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for choosing “resistance over compromise” and urged him to “continue to play on the front foot.” He added that those threatening to impose governor’s rule in the province should “do it today rather than tomorrow and then watch what happens.”

An undeclared ban on meetings with Khan had fuelled speculation about his health. After visiting him, Uzma Khan said he was “perfectly fine” physically but was being subjected to “mental torture” in solitary confinement.

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