Spent $2.5bn On Aid For Afghan Migrants In 2025, Says UN
The United Nations spent about $2.5 billion in 2025 to address the needs of Afghan migrants and returnees, a senior UN official said during talks with Taliban authorities.
The United Nations spent about $2.5 billion in 2025 to address the needs of Afghan migrants and returnees, a senior UN official said during talks with Taliban authorities.
Indrika Ratwatte, deputy head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told a meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s minister of refugees and repatriation, that the large-scale return of migrants had increased Afghanistan’s population by about 10 percent in a short period.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Taliban Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said Ratwatte reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to assisting Afghans in need. He said UN agencies focused in 2025 on preventing a deepening humanitarian crisis by providing aid to returnees and other vulnerable groups.
Ratwatte, who also oversees humanitarian coordination, stressed the need for stronger cooperation with Taliban-run institutions to address the challenges facing returnees and internally displaced people. According to the ministry, he proposed measures to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian assistance through Afghanistan–Pakistan border crossings and said coordination would continue with the Ministry of Refugees and other Taliban bodies to assess needs in the coming year.
Abdul Kabir thanked the United Nations for its support in 2025 and said an emergency winter assistance plan for returnees had been prepared. He also called for increased UN aid, adding that his ministry, with support from traders and charitable individuals, has launched programmes to assist those returning to Afghanistan.
Separately, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said at least 1.8 million Afghan migrants returned to the country in 2025, warning that returnees from Iran and Pakistan face “distinct and unique challenges” once back in Afghanistan.
