Taliban Building Temporary Camp for Afghan Returnees at Islam Qala Border
The Taliban administration in Herat province has announced the construction of a temporary camp to accommodate Afghan returnees at the Islam Qala border. According to local officials, the facility — being built in cooperation with UNICEF — will have the capacity to host more than 41,000 people and is expected to be completed soon.
Taliban authorities reported that over 70 million Afghanis have already been spent on the project. They also revealed plans for two additional camps, four shelters with a total capacity of 16,000 people, and three large halls that could accommodate another 11,000.
In addition, a large kitchen capable of preparing daily meals for 20,000 people and six waiting areas with a combined capacity of 18,000 are either under construction or already completed.
The Taliban claim that since the start of mass deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran, more than one billion Afghanis have been allocated to support eligible returnees, creating jobs for around 15,000 people. However, independent sources and human rights organizations have questioned both the accuracy of these figures and the transparency of resource allocation.
The development of such facilities at the border comes as returnees continue to struggle with limited access to basic services, homelessness, and widespread unemployment. Concerns are mounting over mismanagement of international aid and the Taliban’s lack of accountability, leaving the future of thousands of returnees uncertain.
