Mass Afghan returns from Iran strain borders: UNICEF

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that between January 1 and June 29, 2025, a total of 714,572 Afghan migrants returned from Iran, with 70 percent of them being forcibly returned.

In a statement issued Thursday, UNICEF noted that 99 percent of the returnees during this period were undocumented.

The organization also highlighted that in 2025, more than 50 percent of Afghanistan’s population—nearly 23 million people, including 12 million children—require humanitarian assistance.

UNICEF attributed part of the returnee crisis to political developments in neighboring Iran and Pakistan, which have contributed to a surge in forced and undocumented returns, particularly in the second half of the year.

Despite these challenges, UNICEF reported that from January to June 2025, more than 19 million people in Afghanistan accessed essential health services through UNICEF-supported facilities and mobile teams.

In the same period, over 9.5 million children were screened for wasting. Of these, 274,781 children (58 percent girls) were admitted for outpatient care, while 23,152 required inpatient treatment.

Additionally, UNICEF reached over 730,000 children and caregivers with child protection services focused on prevention, risk mitigation, and response. Children accounted for 59 percent of the beneficiaries.

pr/sa