Italy has donated €2 million to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to assist Afghan returnees and vulnerable host communities, UNHCR said in a statement Thursday.
The funding, provided through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, will support over 20,000 individuals—including more than 11,000 women and girls—through reintegration, livelihood programs and community-based services in return areas across Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has witnessed the return of more than 2 million individuals in 2025, many of whom face limited access to shelter, employment, and basic services in already fragile communities, the statement said.
“Supporting returnees and vulnerable host communities is not only a humanitarian priority, it’s an investment in Afghanistan’s future,” said Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan. “Women and girls, in particular, will benefit from skills and opportunities that promote inclusion and economic independence.”
The project aims to foster social cohesion, promote peaceful coexistence, and improve access to education and employment through literacy training, psychosocial counseling, awareness workshops, and vocational skills development.
The funding will also support UNHCR’s broader strategy to provide dignified returns and strengthen long-term stability in communities affected by displacement.
