UN Refugee Chief Warns of Difficult Conditions Facing Afghans Returning Home

DID Press: Nearly seven million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries since late 2023, many of them under difficult circumstances and through forced returns, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has said.

Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, made the remarks at a meeting of UNHCR’s Executive Committee, highlighting the challenges facing returning Afghan families.He said returnees and their communities face widespread difficulties, including poverty, limited access to essential services, and restrictions imposed on women and girls.

Salih said UNHCR, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partner organizations were supporting the reintegration of returnees into Afghan society. However, he stressed that the scale of the challenges required greater investment and additional assistance from the international community.

Shahzad Erin, a university professor, also emphasized the need to address the situation of returning Afghans, describing them as one of the country’s key assets and saying their support should be prioritized.“Without a doubt, Afghans who have returned to their homeland are among Afghanistan’s main assets. International aid organizations and the government must give them serious attention,” he said.

As the number of returnees grows, families need employment opportunities, access to healthcare and education, adequate shelter, and sustainable livelihoods. Addressing these needs will be important for helping returnees reintegrate into society and reducing the economic and social pressures they face.