Nearly nine in ten Afghan families are going hungry or sinking deeper into debt, as millions of new returnees stretch scarce resources across poverty-hit provinces in Afghanistan’s east and north, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned on Wednesday.

Afghanistan, battered by aid cuts, sanctions, and a series of natural disasters, is struggling to absorb the return of more than 4.5 million Afghans since 2023 — including 1.5 million expelled this year from Pakistan and Iran, which have intensified deportations of undocumented migrants.

According to the UNDP’s latest assessment, 90 percent of returnee families are now taking on debt to afford food, healthcare, or rent. Over half of returnee households report skipping medical care to feed their families. Average household debts range between $373 and $900, while the average monthly income hovers around $100, the report said.

The mass returns have compounded Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian crisis, already among the world’s worst. Housing shortages have worsened sharply, with rents tripling in many areas. More than half of returnees report insufficient living space or bedding, while 18 percent have been displaced twice within the past year. In western districts such as Injil and Guzara, the UNDP found that most returnees were sheltering in tents or crumbling structures.

UNDP Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques called for urgent, “area-based recovery” initiatives that link livelihoods, housing, and services to help communities under strain.

“By linking income opportunities, basic services, housing and social cohesion, it is possible to ease pressure on high-return districts and reduce the risk of secondary displacement,” he said.

International assistance to Afghanistan has plummeted since 2021, and the UN’s $3.1 billion humanitarian appeal for 2025 remains less than half funded. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly appealed for global support and condemned Pakistan’s mass expulsions, saying it is “deeply concerned” over the treatment of Afghan nationals.

The UNDP report also highlights the worsening exclusion of women from the workforce, warning that restrictions on female employment are undermining family survival and economic recovery.

Only six percent of Afghan women are currently participating in the labor force — one of the lowest rates in the world, the report stated.