The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that more than 160,000 Afghan migrants have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan in the first three months of 2025.
In a report released on Friday, March 27, the agency stated that Pakistan currently hosts approximately 1.92 million Afghanistan citizens, including both documented and undocumented individuals, and that an even greater number are expected to return to Afghanistan.
According to the report, Afghanistan is facing a complex humanitarian crisis alongside the increase in returning migrants, a crisis that includes displacement caused by conflicts, economic pressures, and the potential large-scale return of migrants from Iran.
UNICEF added that recent clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan have resulted in civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, and widespread displacement.
The agency noted that between late February and mid-March, 289 civilians were killed or injured, including 76 fatalities and 213 others wounded. More than half of the victims were women and children.
The report further stated that approximately 115,000 people have been displaced as a result of these clashes, although assessments of this figure are still ongoing.
UNICEF also warned that the potential mass return of Afghan migrants from Iran poses another serious threat to Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation, and the agency has prepared an emergency plan to address such a scenario.
According to the report, in 2026, about 21.9 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance, including 11.6 million children.
UNICEF emphasized that it requires a budget of $949 million to respond to this situation and provide life-saving aid to approximately 12 million people, including 6.5 million children.
You can read the Persian version of this news here:
بازگشت ۱۶۰ هزار مهاجر افغان از پاکستان؛ یونیسف از تشدید بحران انسانی هشدار داد
