The United Nations refugee agency warned Friday that it is running out of resources to support millions of Afghans returning from neighbouring countries and appealed for $258 million in urgent funding.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said about 2.6 million Afghans have returned, many through forced deportations, and described the situation as a “crisis within a crisis.” The agency noted that local communities are still reeling from the impact of recent earthquakes while facing a surge in returnees from Pakistan.
According to UNHCR, Pakistan has expelled more than 554,000 Afghan migrants since April, including 143,000 in August alone. In the first week of September, more than 100,000 Afghans returned.
The agency urged Pakistan to extend the legal stay of vulnerable Afghans, pointing to the country’s long record of hosting refugees.
UNHCR also confirmed it has suspended some operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred female staff from entering its offices. It stressed that aid for women cannot be delivered without female employees and called for the immediate lifting of restrictions.
The agency warned that without fresh funding, it will be unable to continue delivering life-saving assistance to returnees.