UNHCR seeks $71m to help Afghan returnees

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The United Nations refugee agency says it needs $71 million to help Afghans returning to their homeland from Pakistan and Iran.

“We need $71 million to respond to this crisis across the region over a nine-month period,” a UNHCR spokesperson said.

Dawn quoted Babar Baloch as highlighting the current funding uncertainties at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

The newspaper said UNHCR was working with partners including UNDP and IOM to assist the increasing number of returnees in Afghanistan.

Over 251,000 Afghans returned in desperate conditions from Pakistan and Iran In April. The returnees included more than 96,000 deportees.

Baloch said: “We have also consistently shared our concerns that regardless of their legal status, people forced to return to Afghanistan may encounter serious protection risks”.

Over 3.4 million Afghans have gone back or been deported from Pakistan and Iran since 2023, more than, including over 1.5 million in 2024 alone.

The large-scale returns have taken a toll on the capacity of many provinces in Afghanistan, sparking fears of greater internal displacement.

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