UN Warns of Depleting Aid Resources for Afghan Returnees as Winter Approaches

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that humanitarian resources in Afghanistan are nearing exhaustion as winter sets in and the number of returnees from Pakistan continues to rise significantly.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, November 21, the agency said that approximately 7,000 Afghan migrants are returning from Pakistan each day. While emergency assistance is still being provided to these returnees, available resources are being consumed rapidly.

According to the UNHCR, nearly 320,000 returnees have received emergency support since August this year. In November alone, around 75,000 people received aid packages.

The assistance primarily includes cash support and services such as psychological counseling and social protection advice. However, the agency stressed that the current level of aid is insufficient to meet the growing needs of the returnees, and called for increased international support.

With the Taliban administration struggling to provide even basic necessities for the returning population, humanitarian organizations are under mounting pressure. The situation poses a heightened risk of triggering a new humanitarian crisis during the winter months, and requires immediate attention from the global community.