Overview
- More than 4.5 million Afghans have returned since 2023, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, pushing the population up by about 10% in high‑return areas.
- A UNDP survey of over 48,000 households found more than half of returnees forgo medical care to buy food and 45% rely on open springs or unprotected wells for water.
- Nearly 90% of returning families carry debts of $373 to $900 against average monthly incomes of about $100, with many reporting tripled rents and inadequate housing.
- Public services are stretched beyond capacity, with one teacher serving 70 to 100 students, child labor reported at 30%, and joblessness among returnees reaching up to 95% in some districts.
- UNDP warns that UN appeals for $3.1 billion remain largely unfunded and urges sustained support and access for female aid staff as women’s labor-force participation falls to 6%; the Taliban has sought quake relief and protested Pakistan’s expulsions.