KABUL: Around 6.3 million Afghans have returned to their country since 2023, with nearly 60% forced to return, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Kabul, Arafat Jamal, has said.
In an interview with German publication MiGAZIN, Jamal said returnees accounted for approximately 15% of Afghanistan’s population, creating a major challenge for a country already struggling with poverty, unemployment and a shortage of international assistance.
He said most of those returning had come from neighbouring countries, adding that absorbing such a large population would be difficult even for countries with far greater resources.
Growing Hardship
Jamal warned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian conditions remained severe, with widespread poverty and malnutrition compounded by persistent human rights violations and Taliban restrictions on women and girls.
He said many Afghans arrive at border crossings with little more than the clothes they are wearing, having been forced to sell their belongings to pay for the journey home.
Aid After Return
The UN and its partner organisations provide financial assistance to returning Afghans at border crossings to help them meet their immediate needs, Jamal said.
However, he stressed that the challenges do not end when people cross the border. Returnees still need housing, employment and identity documents to rebuild their lives in Afghanistan.
The scale of the returns, he warned, is placing additional pressure on a country where limited resources and declining international aid are making reintegration increasingly difficult.
