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One child returns to Afghanistan every 30 seconds as humanitarian crisis worsens: charity
Afghanistan is facing a dramatic surge in returning children, with nearly one child returning to the country from Iran or Pakistan every 30 seconds on average, according to a statement released by Save the Children on Monday.
More than 800,000 children have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan this year, double the number recorded in 2024. Around three-quarters of these children have returned from Iran, many of them born outside Afghanistan or having spent most of their lives in exile.
The child rights organisation warns that many of these children are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, some unaccompanied, and are effectively strangers in their own homeland.
“The scale and pace of people returning to Afghanistan right now is completely unprecedented,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, Advocacy Director at Save the Children in Afghanistan. “We are on the brink of a full-scale humanitarian crisis like we’ve never seen before.”
The crisis is further exacerbated by internal displacement, driven by worsening climate conditions, including severe drought in northern provinces that has devastated crops and water supplies. One in five Afghan children is now facing crisis levels of hunger.
At the same time, international aid cuts have severely impacted humanitarian operations, with agencies overwhelmed by the volume of need.
Save the Children urged regional governments to ensure all returns are voluntary, safe and dignified, particularly for unaccompanied children who are at heightened risk of exploitation and abuse. It also called on the international community to step up emergency funding — both for border support and long-term resettlement assistance.
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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