International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that approximately 370,000 Afghan migrants, including pregnant women, unaccompanied children, people with disabilities and elderly, returned from Iran over a two-week period in July.
The agency warned that the surge in returns risks triggering a humanitarian crisis and called for immediate international assistance to support the growing number of returnees.
According to a statement posted on X by IOM’s regional office, the influx intensified from mid-June, with thousands of families arriving daily through the Islam Qala border crossing in western Afghanistan under difficult and often dangerous conditions.
According to IOM, these returnees are exhausted, afraid, and extremely vulnerable, and many among them require urgent medical care, shelter and protection.
The IOM said its emergency services at the border are under immense strain, and its operational capacity is nearing collapse due to the high volume of arrivals.
The UN agency warned that unless additional resources are mobilised, the current support system may soon be overwhelmed.
According to international agencies, Iran has expelled more than one million Afghan migrants over the past two months, a pace that has continued despite international criticism.
