KABUL (Pajhwok): The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it has assisted more than 393,000 vulnerable Afghan returnees with support from the European Union between March 2025 and May 2026, stressing the urgent need for continued humanitarian assistance and long-term solutions for their safe and sustainable reintegration.
In a statement, IOM said the assistance was provided as Afghanistan experienced a large-scale return of migrants, repeated natural disasters and growing humanitarian needs.
According to the organization, returns from Pakistan increased significantly during the period, while an unprecedented number of Afghans also returned from Iran. Devastating earthquakes further increased pressure on border facilities, essential services and communities receiving returnees.
IOM said more than 393,000 vulnerable returnees entering Afghanistan through border crossings in Herat, Nimroz, Kandahar, Helmand and Nangarhar provinces received immediate assistance under the programme.
Based on returnees’ urgent needs, the assistance included temporary shelter, primary healthcare, transportation and cash support to meet basic needs.
The organization said many of those assisted had returned with limited resources after living outside Afghanistan for years or even decades.
With EU support, IOM also strengthened access to essential healthcare services, including mental health and psychosocial support, for returnees, host communities and internally displaced people in areas near border crossings.
According to IOM, the programme provided 72,694 health, mental health and psychosocial support consultations to 68,454 patients, including 22,510 women.
The organization added that 49,697 people with specific vulnerabilities received individual assistance based on their needs, including 24,766 women.
IOM said Afghanistan also experienced repeated floods, harsh winters and earthquakes during the period. To strengthen emergency preparedness and response, emergency shelters and non-food items were pre-positioned in various parts of the country.
Through the transportation and distribution of these items and other assistance, 47,757 people affected by disasters also received support, according to the statement.
Izora Maskun, IOM’s deputy chief of mission in Afghanistan, said unprecedented returns over the past year, combined with repeated natural disasters, had placed significant pressure on vulnerable communities and humanitarian services.
She said continued support and cooperation were essential to ensure vulnerable Afghans had access to protection, healthcare and other life-saving assistance as humanitarian needs increased and evolved, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity.
Thomas Derham-Roy, head of the European Union’s humanitarian aid office in Kabul, said the scale and speed of returns had placed considerable pressure on families and further strained Afghanistan’s limited services.
He said many returnees arrived with very few resources and needed immediate healthcare, protection, shelter and financial assistance.
The EU had supported efforts to address these urgent needs through cooperation with IOM, he said, while also ensuring essential supplies were pre-positioned to respond to floods, earthquakes and harsh winters.
IOM said Afghanistan continued to face one of the world’s most complex and protracted displacement and humanitarian crises.
According to IOM data, more than 5.9 million Afghan returns have been recorded since September 2023, while nearly 2.7 million Afghans are expected to return to the country in 2026.
The organization stressed that the situation underscored the need for continued humanitarian assistance and long-term solutions to ensure the safe, dignified and sustainable reintegration of returnees.
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