A million more Afghans could be sent back from Iran, Red Cross warns
GENEVA - The Red Cross said on Tuesday it is bracing for another 1 million people to be sent back from Iran to Afghanistan amid mass deportations that humanitarians say are placing a heavy strain on the aid system.
Over 1.2 million people have been returned to Afghanistan from Iran since the start of this year, according to data from the U.N. refugee agency, with the number of returns surging since Iran and Israel launched strikes on each other last month.
Sami Fakhouri, Head of Delegation for Afghanistan at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said he witnessed bus loads of people returning to a border crossing at the Islam Qala border in Herat province in recent days.
"(We) are anticipating that an additional one million people, possibly more, may return from Iran to Afghanistan by the end of this year," he told reporters at a Geneva press briefing, voicing concern about their futures with many having left their home country years ago and were now homeless.
"The majority didn't have a say in coming back. They were put on buses and driven to the border," he said.
Afghanistan is already battling a humanitarian crisis and aid groups worry that the new arrivals from Iran - on top of hundreds of thousands pressured to return from Pakistan - risks further destabilising the country.
Fakhouri said the IFRC appeal for 25 million Swiss francs ($31.40 million) to help returning Afghans at the border and in transit camps is only 10% funded, voicing concerns about whether it could maintain support for people.
Babar Baloch, a spokesperson at the U.N. refugee agency, said tens of thousands were arriving from Iran daily with over 50,000 crossing on July 4.
He also voiced concerns about family separations.
"The psychological scars are going to stay with Afghans who have been made to come back to the country in this way,' he said at the same press briefing. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Who were the two pilots who flew the Air India jet that crashed?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW DELHI - Investigators probing a deadly Air India crash said in a preliminary report that the aircraft's engine fuel switches were flipped to an off position briefly, leading to confusion in the cockpit and putting focus on the pilots flying the Boeing 787. Below is a brief profile of the two pilots based on the preliminary investigation report and media reports: CAPTAIN SUMEET SABHARWAL The 56-year-old had an airline transport pilot's licence that was valid until May 14, 2026. He had obtained clearances to fly as pilot-in-command on several aircraft including the Boeing 787 and 777 and the Airbus A310. He had total flying experience of 15,638 hours, of which 8,596 hours were on a Boeing 787. Sabharwal had called his family from the airport, assuring them he would ring again after landing in London, according to a Times of India report. A pilot who had briefly interacted with him told Reuters he was a "gentleman." FIRST OFFICER CLIVE KUNDER The 32-year-old had a commercial pilot license which was issued in 2020 and valid until September 26, 2025. He had obtained clearances to fly Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft as pilot-in-command and as co-pilot on Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 jets. He had total flying experience of 3,403 hours. Of that, 1,128 hours of experience were as a 787 co-pilot. Since his school-going days Kunder was passionate about flying, and in 2012, began serving as a pilot, Indian media reported, citing his relatives. He joined Air India in 2017. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 12, 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A firefighter standing next to the crashed Air India jet, in Ahmedabad, India, on June 13. India finds engine switch movement in Air India crash A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in June showed three seconds after taking off, the plane's engines' fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner immediately began to lose thrust and sink down, according to the report released on July 12 by Indian aviation accident investigators. One pilot can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. 'The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the report said. At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position and the report said there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. READ MORE HERE Trump shock at devastating scale of Texas flood damage PHOTO: REUTERS US President Donald Trump spoke on July 11 of seeing devastation like he'd never before experienced as he toured parts of Texas hit by flash floods that have left at least 120 people dead, including dozens of children. The Republican leader and First Lady Melania Trump were in the Hill Country of central Texas to meet first responders, victims' families and local officials, a week after a rain-swollen river swept away houses, camp cabins, cars and people. 'This is a tough one. I've never seen anything like this,' Mr Trump said, at a roundtable meeting in Kerrville, in the worst-affected Kerr County. 'I've gone to a lot of hurricanes, a lot of tornadoes. I've never seen anything like this. This is a bad one.' READ MORE HERE US resumes military aid supply to Ukraine, says Zelensky PHOTO: AFP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US resumed shipping military aid to Ukraine, which was unexpectedly put on halt last week. 'According to all reports, the supply has been renewed,' Mr Zelensky said late on July 11 in his daily video address to the nation. 'We will continue to work with the American side at the military level, in particular our military with General Keith Kellogg.' Gen Kellogg is a retired general and the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. READ MORE HERE 'Ravaged by mosquitoes': Backpacker found alive PHOTOS: AFP Lost German backpacker Carolina Wilga was found alive but 'ravaged by mosquitoes' on July 11, 12 days after going missing in remote bushland in Western Australia. A member of the public found the 26-year-old on a bush track at the edge of a nature reserve, and she has been taken to hospital in Perth for treatment, police said. 'She's been ravaged by mosquitoes. She's obviously been through an amazing journey, a trauma, and no doubt will be a testimony demonstrating her bravery in the circumstances out there,' WA police inspector Martin Glynn told reporters. READ MORE HERE Ousted Djokovic admits age is catching up with him PHOTO: REUTERS Novak Djokovic said the reality of his age was hitting him 'like never before' after he was crushed by world number one Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals on July 11. The Serbian seven-time champion was demolished 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court and will be missing from the final at the All England Club for the first time since 2017. The 38-year-old was aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title and an eighth Wimbledon crown, which would have pulled him level with Roger Federer's record of eight men's titles.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
India finds engine switch movement in fatal Air India crash, no immediate action for Boeing or GE
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people last month showed three seconds after taking off, the plane's engines fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner immediately began to lose thrust and sink down, according to the report released on Saturday by Indian aviation accident investigators. One pilot can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" just before the crash. The preliminary report also does not say how the switch could have flipped to the cutoff position on the June 12 London-bound flight from the Indian city of Ahmedabad. U.S. aviation safety expert John Cox said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. "You can't bump them and they move," he said. Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines. It is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Wishes for ST beyond 180: Odes to its enduring role in the Singapore story Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as 'library of human stories' and life experiences Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide "At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers" India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said. Air India, Boeing and GE Aviation did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. REUTERS
