Afghanistan faces humanitarian crisis amid mass involuntary returns

Afghanistan is facing a severe demographic and socio-economic shock as millions of Afghans return from neighboring countries. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), nearly 1.2 million people have returned from Pakistan and Iran this year alone due to deportations, bringing the total number of returns since 2023 to 6.5 million.

During a United Nations Security Council briefing, UNAMA Deputy Special Representative Georgette Gagnon warned that limited resources and shrinking humanitarian aid could fuel instability and competition over scarce resources. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently only 30% funded, leading to the closure or scaling back of essential health, nutrition, and women’s protection services.

India has formally censured the involuntary repatriation of these populations at the UN. Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish expressed profound concern, noting that the forcible return of over 3 million individuals lacks the political outcry and large-scale humanitarian support that would typically be elicited in other global contexts. India emphasized that returns must be conducted voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.