UN Reports Nearly 2.5 Million Afghans Return Home, Straining Public Services
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that since the beginning of 2025, nearly two and a half million Afghan citizens have returned from neighboring countries to Afghanistan. This influx has placed new pressures on the country’s already fragile public service infrastructure.
According to the report, UNHCR, with a $3 million funding contribution and in cooperation with the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Polio Legacy Challenge program, has initiated measures to address the urgent health needs of returnees. These programs focus on communities living under difficult and crisis conditions.
As part of this humanitarian initiative, three comprehensive modern health clinics are planned to be constructed in parts of Afghanistan over the next two years. The project aims to improve displaced persons’ and returnees’ access to essential health services in the most severely affected areas.
The surge in returnees comes amid repeated warnings from aid organizations about limited health service capacity and weak management in the country. These issues, under the current Taliban administration, have created serious challenges in meeting the basic needs of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups.
