
‘Emergency' at Afghan border as migrant returns from Iran surge
ISLAM QALA, Afghanistan: Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed over the border from Iran in the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, the United Nations said, sparking an 'emergency' situation at border points. In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people, out of the six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country.
Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with a peak of more than 43,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province on July 1, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday. The UN migration agency IOM said more than 250,000 Afghans returned from Iran in June.
UNICEF country representative Tajudeen Oyewale said this was an 'emergency' situation in a country already facing a 'chronic returnee crisis', with 1.4 million Afghans returning from traditional hosts Iran and Pakistan this year. 'What is concerning is that 25 percent of all these returnees are children... because the demographics have shifted' from individual men to whole families, crossing the border with scant belongings and money, he told AFP on Thursday.
He noted Islam Qala could accommodate the vast numbers but was inadequately equipped in terms of services, saying, 'When you start hitting more than 20,000 people (a day) that is completely beyond the planning scenario that we have'. The agency has engaged emergency processes to ramp up water and sanitation systems built for 7-10,000 people a day, along with vaccinations, nutrition and child-friendly spaces. Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or even arrest and deportation.
'Some people are so afraid that they don't leave the house themselves... They send their young children out just for a piece of bread, and even those children get arrested sometimes,' said 38-year-old Aref Atayi of the pressures Afghans face in Iran. 'Even if I have to beg in my own country, it's still better than staying in a place where we're treated like this,' he told AFP on Saturday, as he waited at the IOM-run reception center for some support to help his family resettle.
Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taleban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees.
The UN has warned the influx could destabilize the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans. – AFP

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Kuwait Times
17 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
‘Emergency' at Afghan border as migrant returns from Iran surge
Afghanistan faces chronic returnee crisis with 1.4m Afghans returning from Iran, Pakistan ISLAM QALA, Afghanistan: Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed over the border from Iran in the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, the United Nations said, sparking an 'emergency' situation at border points. In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people, out of the six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country. Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with a peak of more than 43,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province on July 1, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday. The UN migration agency IOM said more than 250,000 Afghans returned from Iran in June. UNICEF country representative Tajudeen Oyewale said this was an 'emergency' situation in a country already facing a 'chronic returnee crisis', with 1.4 million Afghans returning from traditional hosts Iran and Pakistan this year. 'What is concerning is that 25 percent of all these returnees are children... because the demographics have shifted' from individual men to whole families, crossing the border with scant belongings and money, he told AFP on Thursday. He noted Islam Qala could accommodate the vast numbers but was inadequately equipped in terms of services, saying, 'When you start hitting more than 20,000 people (a day) that is completely beyond the planning scenario that we have'. The agency has engaged emergency processes to ramp up water and sanitation systems built for 7-10,000 people a day, along with vaccinations, nutrition and child-friendly spaces. Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or even arrest and deportation. 'Some people are so afraid that they don't leave the house themselves... They send their young children out just for a piece of bread, and even those children get arrested sometimes,' said 38-year-old Aref Atayi of the pressures Afghans face in Iran. 'Even if I have to beg in my own country, it's still better than staying in a place where we're treated like this,' he told AFP on Saturday, as he waited at the IOM-run reception center for some support to help his family resettle. Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taleban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees. The UN has warned the influx could destabilize the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans. – AFP

Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Kuwait Times
6 dead, 30 missing in Bali ferry sinking
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Kuwait Times
29-06-2025
- Kuwait Times
UNHCR, Al-Nouri Charity Society sign grant deal
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charitable Association sign a grant agreement to support 346 Syrian refugee families in Jordan.- KUNA KUWAIT: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society signed an annual grant agreement on Sunday to support Syrian refugee families in Jordan. The agreement reflects ongoing humanitarian cooperation between the two sides and underscores Kuwait's continued commitment to aiding vulnerable communities across the region. In a press statement, UNHCR Representative in Kuwait Nisreen Rabian said the agreement will support the agency's cash assistance and self-reliance programs, utilizing funds raised during the joint winter campaign held between November 2024 and March 2025. Rabian noted that the contributions from the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society will enable UNHCR to provide monthly multi-purpose cash assistance to 346 refugee families — comprising approximately 1,731 individuals — over a period of nine months. This assistance is aimed at helping families meet essential daily needs and improve their living conditions. 'The signing of this agreement is a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between UNHCR and the Al-Nouri Society,' Rabian said, expressing appreciation for the vital role played by Kuwaiti charitable organizations in supporting refugee populations worldwide. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society, Jamal Al-Nouri, emphasized that this is the fifth agreement signed with UNHCR since 2020. He noted that thousands of families have already benefited from previous collaborations, and expressed the society's hope to expand the partnership in the coming year in light of the growing needs of displaced populations across the region. 'With the support of the Al-Nouri Society, UNHCR will be better equipped to address urgent humanitarian needs while also promoting long-term self-reliance for Syrian refugees in Jordan,' he added. The agreement further strengthens Kuwait's reputation as a leading humanitarian donor and a reliable partner in global efforts to assist refugees and displaced persons. — KUNA