About 800,000 Refugees Returned To Afghanistan From Pakistan In Over A Year

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that between September 15, 2023 and December 1, 2024, more than 783,000 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.

According to the organisation, 31% of returnees are female-headed households who are vulnerable.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report on Tuesday, December 24, that "among the returnees, 2.5% are people with disabilities and 31% are families with female heads”.

The UN office said that it had provided vital assistance to only 116,600 of the more than 783,000 migrants. Nearly half of those helped were said to be women.

According to the report, a donor delegation including representatives from the European Union, Norway and Sweden traveled to Kabul from November 24 to 27, 2024, and visited UNHCR-supported centres.

After meeting with the refugees, the delegation reiterated its support for the empowerment of women and girls and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has been widely criticised inside and outside Afghanistan.

In April 2024, Amnesty International had called on Pakistan not to ignore international calls and stop deporting Afghan refugees.