Nearly 1.5 million Afghans forced to return from neighboring countries: WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Thursday that almost 1.5 million Afghans have been compelled to return from Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan so far this year.

WFP said it has provided emergency food assistance to more than 300,000 returnees at border points, with vital support from donors including the United Kingdom, France, and the European Union.

This comes after recently UNICEF announced following a visit by Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, that more than two million migrants, including approximately 500,000 children, have returned to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan, and several Central Asian countries so far this year.

Chaiban, who recently completed his fourth visit to Afghanistan, highlighted the scale of returns, noting that on July 4 alone, over 50,000 individuals crossed into Afghanistan from Iran — the highest single-day figure recorded in 2025.

He warned that this mass influx has placed severe pressure on already fragile communities, where more than half of the population depends on humanitarian assistance.

In response to the return movements, UNICEF urged Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to adopt a safe, dignified, voluntary, and phased approach to managing returns. The agency stressed the importance of regional dialogue to minimize the impact on host communities.

UNICEF also appealed to donor countries to increase funding for humanitarian programs supporting returnees, with a focus on women and children.