The World Food Programme (WFP) this week issued an urgent appeal for $25 million to address the escalating needs of Afghan refugees being expelled from Pakistan.

According to the WFP, thousands of Afghan families are crossing into Afghanistan from Pakistan every day and face serious food insecurity.

The organization also stated that millions in Afghanistan are grappling with severe hunger, and immediate aid of $25 million is needed to assist returnees.

On Wednesday, April 23, in a video shared on X, WFP’s head in Afghanistan, Mutinta Chimuka, visited the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan. During her visit, she highlighted the challenges faced by returnees, many of whom have spent their entire lives in Pakistan and are unfamiliar with Afghanistan.

Chimuka pointed out that many returnees have no income, employment, food, or shelter.

The WFP stressed that thousands of families are being forced to leave Pakistan, while 15 million people in Afghanistan are uncertain where their next meal will come from. The situation has become dire, with basic needs going unmet for a large portion of the population, the WFP said.

Chimuka warned that current aid efforts are insufficient to support the returnees, and new financial resources are urgently needed to address their needs by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the pace of deportations and expulsions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan, continues to increase. The Pakistani Ministry of Interior reported that over 100,000 Afghan migrants have been returned since April 1.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also raised alarm, noting that while thousands of refugees return every week, there are millions of Afghans who are currently facing poverty, homelessness, and difficult living conditions.