Over 113,000 Afghan Migrants Deported from Iran and Pakistan in Early September
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that more than 113,690 Afghan migrants were deported from Iran and Pakistan during the first half of September 2025. The majority—about 72 percent—entered Afghanistan from Iran, with Islam Qala crossing in Nimroz Province identified as the busiest entry point.
According to the report, over 6,700 outpatient consultations were conducted in Nimroz alone, while more than 2,200 returnees in eastern Afghanistan received healthcare services. Common health issues among the deportees included respiratory infections, diarrhea, malnutrition, and suspected cases of tuberculosis.
Mobile health teams have been deployed at border points such as Torkham, Milak, and Qala-e-Islam, providing services including vaccination of children against diseases like polio and measles. These interventions are part of urgent efforts to prevent disease outbreaks among returnees.
The report noted varying priorities in different regions: emergency care and vaccinations in the west, treatment of wounds and skin diseases in the south, and child health and nutrition in the east.
Despite these ongoing efforts, WHO warned that the lack of sustainable funding could disrupt services. The organization called for strengthening mobile health teams, improving access to clean drinking water and sanitation systems, offering psychosocial support, and addressing medical waste management.
WHO further stressed the urgent need for contingency plans to manage the rising influx of returnees and to ensure that the specific needs of women and children at border crossings are met. Without effective support from international and domestic bodies, the risk of a widespread health crisis among returnees could escalate.
The situation is further complicated by migration pressures, weak infrastructure, and economic insecurity, while the Taliban administration has so far shown limited capacity to effectively manage the crisis.
