Over 2.6 million Afghans return home with nothing to rebuild lives: IFRC

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), citing data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reports that over 2.6 million migrants have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan, with nothing to rebuild their lives.

The organization, highlighting the growing number of returnees, stated that only 10 percent of the required funding has been secured so far.

“If the international community doesn’t step up now, communities in Afghanistan will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people returning,” said Sami Fakhouri, Head of Delegation, IFRC Afghanistan.

“We’re already having to make tough choices, like whether we have enough funding to continue providing even the most basic support, such as food at the borders for those returning. Right now, only 10 percent of the required funding has been secured,” added Fakhouri.

According to the IFRC, only 10 percent of the funding needed to respond to this crisis has been secured. Without immediate action from the international community, additional pressure will be placed on host communities within Afghanistan.

“As millions return to Afghanistan with almost nothing—no homes, no jobs, and no safety net—this is not only a humanitarian emergency but also a test of our long-term commitment to invest in programmes like Marastoon,” Fakhouri stated.

Meanwhile, officials from the Islamic Emirate have said that state-owned companies and the private sector are working to create job opportunities for the returnees.

“We call on Emirati companies and the private sector to make efforts to give priority to all young people — especially the youth returning from migration — and to create job opportunities and employment for them,” said Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs.

This comes as more than 2,300 Afghan migrant families have returned from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan in the past 24 hours.

The High Commission for Addressing the Problems of Migrants announced that after registration and biometric processing, returnees were given cash assistance and SIM cards, and the necessary steps were taken to facilitate their transport to their respective provinces.