Afghan Children Returning from Iran Face Uncertainty as Humanitarian Needs Rise.
Geneva/Islam Qala, Afghanistan:
Thousands of Afghan children returning from Iran are facing an uncertain future as humanitarian agencies warn of growing needs at border crossings and within already strained communities in Afghanistan. The situation was highlighted by Tajudeen Oyewale during a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
Speaking at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Dr. Oyewale said families arriving at the Islam Qala border crossing are exhausted, distressed, and unsure about what awaits them after returning to Afghanistan. Many mothers are reaching reception centres with their children after difficult and unexpected journeys, urgently requiring medical assistance and humanitarian support.
Growing Numbers of Returnees
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the pattern of Afghan families returning from neighbouring countries has intensified in recent years, largely driven by insecurity, fear, and economic hardship. In 2025 alone, nearly three million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan, with approximately 60 percent of them being families with children.
Dr. Oyewale warned that if the number of arrivals continues to increase, the risks facing children will escalate. Many families arriving at border crossings report facing extremely difficult travel conditions and have little information about their next steps upon returning to their homeland.
Children Among the Most Vulnerable
Humanitarian organizations say children require urgent and specialized attention, particularly those arriving alone. Unaccompanied and separated children face heightened risks of exploitation, abduction, and violence if they are not quickly identified and protected.
Last year, UNICEF assisted more than 8,000 unaccompanied and separated Afghan children returning from Iran and Pakistan. Aid agencies are now preparing for a potential surge in similar cases if cross-border returns continue to rise.
Emergency Services at the Border
Working alongside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian partners, UNICEF has been strengthening services at border points and reception centres. These include nutrition screening, access to safe drinking water, vaccination programs, primary health care, and child protection services.
However, humanitarian workers warn that the challenge does not end at the border. Most returning families eventually move to communities that already struggle with limited access to basic services.
Afghanistan’s Wider Humanitarian Crisis
Afghanistan is already facing multiple overlapping crises. According to humanitarian agencies, around 11 million Afghan children currently require humanitarian assistance. Returning families, often with minimal resources, face an increased risk of malnutrition and illness—especially young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Supply chains for essential humanitarian goods are also under pressure due to regional geopolitical tensions, leading to delays in delivering critical aid such as therapeutic food for malnourished children.
Additional Pressure from Internal Displacement
The situation is further complicated by instability along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. Nearly 164,000 people are currently internally displaced in affected provinces. Among them are about 30,000 survivors of last year’s earthquakes who have now been forced to move for a second time.
Aid groups warn that disruptions in border areas are placing additional strain on already fragile systems and making humanitarian operations more difficult.
Funding Shortfalls Threaten Response
Despite growing needs, humanitarian agencies say funding remains critically low. Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Response Plan is currently only around 10 percent funded, while UNICEF’s humanitarian appeal has reached about 42 percent of the required resources.
UNICEF has called on donors, private sector partners, and international supporters to help deliver urgent assistance, including airlifting nutrition supplies, medical equipment, and water and sanitation materials needed to support children and their families.
Call for Urgent Action
Dr. Oyewale stressed that early action will be essential to ensure that returning families receive timely support. He emphasized that protecting children must remain the top priority as the situation evolves.
“Our message is simple,” he said. “Children must be protected and supported at every stage when they need us the most.”
Humanitarian agencies say they stand ready to expand their response if the number of returning families continues to rise, but warn that swift international support will be critical to prevent the situation from worsening.
