Over 1.3 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, Xinhua reported on Friday, citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The influx, the IOM said, is putting a sharp strain on communities that already struggle with inadequate housing and basic services, and the organization is making a plea for funding to provide shelter and winter supplies as harsh weather threatens to isolate vulnerable groups.
Mihyung Park, IOM's Chief of Mission in Afghanistan, said the emergency is urgent, noting the winter is adding another urgent need. "We need funding now to help families find shelter and keep warm before snow cuts access to remote areas," Park said.
"Families are returning to communities where housing and basic services are already under severe strain. Winter is now adding another urgent need," Park said.
Park added that the accelerating wave of returns is intensifying the pressure on communities already stretched to the breaking point. The IOM is appealing for donors to close an 8.8 million U.S. dollars inter‑agency funding gap that would deliver emergency shelter, winterization kits and essential household items before severe weather isolates vulnerable communities, internally displaced people and recent returnees.
The report underscores the pressing need for international support to address the emerging humanitarian crisis amidst the impending harsh winter conditions.