150,000 Afghans return from Iran, Pakistan so far this year, UNHCR says

KABUL, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 150,000 Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday, adding to an already unprecedented wave of returns that is deepening a humanitarian crisis in the country amid severe winter conditions.

The latest arrivals come on top of 2.9 million returns recorded in 2025, bringing the total number of Afghans who have repatriated since October 2023 to about 5.4 million, according to UNHCR.

The speed and scale of this year's returns are particularly worrying, given the harsh winter now gripping much of Afghanistan, with freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, the agency said in its report.

The influx is pushing the country deeper into crisis as it contends with a deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation, especially for women and girls, a fragile economy, and recurring natural disasters, UNHCR added.

The agency has appealed for 216 million U.S. dollars in funding for 2026 to support displaced people and returnees inside Afghanistan. Enditem