In brief
In 2026, more than 1.3 million Afghans have come back from Iran and Pakistan, creating acute pressure on housing and services in Kabul and other regions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns that winter weather could isolate many families, urging donors to close an $8.8 million funding gap for emergency shelter and winter supplies. The surge places rural communities, already stretched to the breaking point, in danger of being cut off by snow.
More than 1.3 million Afghans have returned from neighboring Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, the International Organization for Migration reports, sparking an urgent call for aid. Families are re‑entering communities where housing and basic services are already under severe strain, and the arrival of winter is adding another urgent need. The influx intensifies pressure on areas that had been coping with limited resources.
Mihyung Park, chief of mission for IOM in Afghanistan, said a sharp wave of returnees is overwhelming local support systems.
“Families are returning to communities where housing and basic services are already under severe strain. Winter is now adding another urgent need,” Park said.
Park added that snow could cut remote areas off, making it harder for residents to get help. The organization is appealing for donors to close an 8.8 million U.S. dollars inter‑agency funding gap to deliver emergency shelter, winterization kits and essential household items before severe weather isolates vulnerable communities, internally displaced people and recent returnees.
Local providers report shortages of shelter materials, heating devices and winter clothing. The new wave of returnees is expected to keep growing, according to IOM data, and the added pressure could jeopardize basic services, including water and electricity supplies, for communities already stretched to breaking point.
Without additional funding, many families may face severe hardship. The IOM stresses that immediate financial support can prevent the situation from worsening as winter approaches. The international community is urged to act quickly to keep the returning Afghans safe and warm before snow cuts off access to essential services.