Around 6.3 million Afghans have returned to the country since 2023, with approximately 60 percent reportedly forced to return, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said, warning of growing humanitarian challenges.

Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Kabul, shared the figures in an interview with German publication MiGAZIN, published on Wednesday, October 28. He said widespread poverty, unemployment and declining international assistance had further worsened conditions in Afghanistan.

According to Jamal, returnees account for approximately 15 percent of Afghanistan’s population, with most arriving from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.

He described accommodating such a large number of returnees as a major challenge, noting that even countries with substantial resources would struggle to absorb such a population within a short period.

Jamal also raised concerns over poverty, malnutrition and human rights conditions in Afghanistan, particularly restrictions imposed on women and girls.

He said many Afghans return with few belongings, as some are forced to sell their possessions to cover travel expenses from Iran and Pakistan.

The UN and its humanitarian partners provide financial assistance to returning families at border crossings to help them meet their immediate needs, Jamal said.

However, he stressed that returnees require continued, long-term support, particularly access to permanent shelter, employment opportunities and civil identity documents.

The rising number of returnees comes as Afghanistan continues to face economic difficulties and declining international humanitarian funding, placing additional pressure on already vulnerable communities.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has captured a suspected member of the Daesh terrorist group operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and transferred him to Türkiye, Turkish security sources said.

According to a report by Daily Sabah, the suspect, identified as Uğur Bahadır, also known by the alias Abdullah, allegedly joined Daesh’s Khorasan branch (ISKP) in 2024 after travelling from Türkiye to the region.

The report said Bahadır received training at several terrorist camps and carried out various assignments for the group.

Following intelligence operations, MIT located and arrested him in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region before transferring him to Türkiye for questioning.

During interrogation, Bahadır reportedly provided information about Daesh’s recruitment networks, training programmes, operational activities and organizational structure in the region.

He also disclosed details of his links with other Daesh members, including Özgür Altun, known as Abu Yasir al-Turki, who was captured in early 2025 and allegedly facilitated the transfer of recruits from Türkiye to the region.

The report further said Bahadır had connections with Ahmet Kazancı, also known as Abu Ubeyde and Abu Ibrahim, who was captured in early 2026 and allegedly worked in the group’s media unit.

According to Turkish intelligence findings cited by Daily Sabah, the operation helped uncover Daesh’s recruitment networks and alleged plans to carry out attacks in Türkiye.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that 15.9 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse as winter approaches, raising concerns over the country’s worsening humanitarian situation.

In a statement posted on X, OCHA said that despite food being available in markets across Afghanistan, millions of people cannot afford to purchase it due to widespread poverty, economic hardship and limited household incomes.

The agency said nearly one in three Afghans is facing severe hunger, warning that food insecurity could worsen further during the coming winter months.

OCHA also raised concerns over child malnutrition, saying more than four million children aged between six months and five years could require treatment for malnutrition in 2027.

The UN agency stressed that humanitarian assistance remains critical to saving lives, but said addressing the crisis requires longer-term investment in livelihoods, essential services and economic opportunities.

OCHA called for urgent international support ahead of winter to help vulnerable families meet their basic needs and prevent further deterioration in food security.

The agency emphasized that combining immediate humanitarian assistance with sustained investment in communities’ resilience is essential to addressing Afghanistan’s ongoing hunger crisis and reducing the impact of future economic and humanitarian shocks.