The government of Japan has contributed $2 million to UNHCR to provide emergency assistance for Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan and to support vulnerable host communities across Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency said.
UNHCR said the funding will support humanitarian assistance for more than 116,000 people in areas receiving large numbers of returnees over a 10-month project running from March through December 2026.
Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian situation as large numbers of migrants return from neighboring countries. More than 2.8 million Afghans returned in 2025 alone, many arriving with few belongings and in urgent need of shelter, food, livelihoods and protection, the agency said.
UNICEF said the situation has been worsened by two major earthquakes in 2025 and growing operational challenges affecting humanitarian delivery.
With the Japanese funding, UNHCR said it will provide emergency cash assistance to about 23,000 returnees to help families cover urgent needs such as transportation, rent and food.
The assistance will be distributed after biometric registration and vulnerability assessments, with priority given to female-headed households, people with disabilities and individuals facing heightened protection risks, the UN agency said.
UNHCR said it will also conduct protection monitoring and assessments for more than 77,000 returnees and members of host communities, including at key border reception centers, to identify protection concerns and inform humanitarian responses.
The program will also provide specialized protection services for women and children.
According to UNICEF, about 11,000 women and girls are expected to receive support through programs aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based violence, while child protection services will assist around 4,400 vulnerable children.
To address housing shortages in areas receiving large numbers of returnees, UNHCR said it plans to build 84 permanent, climate-resilient shelters for returnee families and vulnerable host communities.
UNHCR said Japan’s contribution will help address urgent humanitarian needs while supporting communities coping with large-scale returns.
