The UN refugee agency on Friday called for increased international support to help reintegrate returnees, saying 5.4 million people have returned to Afghanistan since October 2023, straining the country’s fragile economy and humanitarian system.
UNHCR said nearly 150,000 individuals had returned from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, on top of what it described as unprecedented returns of 2.9 million people in 2025.
The pace and scale of the returns have deepened Afghanistan’s crisis, the agency said, as the country faces a worsening humanitarian and human rights situation – particularly for women and girls – a fragile economy and repeated natural disasters.
Citing a recent World Bank report, UNHCR said rapid population growth driven by returns contributed to a 4% decline in GDP per capita in 2025.
The high number of returns this year is particularly concerning given harsh winter conditions, with freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall across much of the country, the agency added.
A recent UNHCR survey found that just over half of returnees reported finding some form of work, often informal. Among women, fewer than a quarter were able to secure employment.
More than half of returnee families lack civil documentation, such as identity cards, and over 90% are living on less than $5 a day, the agency said.
UNHCR said it was concerned about the sustainability of returns. While 5% of those surveyed said they planned to leave Afghanistan again, more than 10% knew a relative or community member who had already left after returning.
“These decisions are not driven by a desire to leave, but by the reality that many are unable to rebuild a viable and dignified life,” the agency said.
UNHCR said it would focus this year on supporting reintegration, including through protection services, housing and livelihood support, particularly for women.
The agency warned that asylum space in the region was shrinking and regulated migration pathways were narrowing, increasing the risk that Afghans would undertake dangerous onward journeys.
For 2026, UNHCR said it needs $216 million to support displaced people and returnees across Afghanistan, but its response is currently only 8% funded.
It called the situation a “critical moment” to invest in long-term solutions to displacement and enable returnees to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
