The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Thousands of Afghan families are returning from Iran amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, creating urgent humanitarian needs for children, UNICEF warned on March 10, 2026.
Arafat Jamal, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said
many families are arriving at border crossings such as Islam Qala, often
exhausted and uncertain about what lies ahead. “We are already seeing too many
mothers arriving at reception centres with their children, looking overwhelmed
and in need of immediate support,” he said.
In 2025, nearly three million Afghans returned from
neighboring countries, primarily Iran and Pakistan, and around 60 percent of
them were families with children. Many returnees today have faced long and
dangerous journeys, with urgent needs for medical care, nutrition, and
protection, particularly for unaccompanied children.
UNICEF, together with UNHCR and other humanitarian partners,
is working to maintain and, if necessary, rapidly scale up essential services
including nutrition screening, safe water, vaccinations, primary health care,
and child protection services at border points, reception centers, and in areas
of return.
Jamal stressed that the challenge continues beyond the
border. Returning families often move to communities where basic services are
already strained. Any significant increase in returns would put additional
pressure on health, nutrition, water, and child protection services.
Afghanistan is facing multiple crises, with 11 million
children in need of humanitarian support. Limited resources, displacement, and
uncertainty can exacerbate malnutrition and health risks, especially for young
children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Jamal called for urgent support from donors, the private
sector, and humanitarian partners to airlift critical nutrition, health, water,
sanitation, and hygiene supplies. “Children must be protected and supported at
every stage when they need us the most,” he said, emphasizing UNICEF’s
readiness to scale up the response if necessary
