Afghanistan Faces Mounting Crises: Returnees Strain Resources,women Face Systemic Barriers
afghanistan is grappling with a confluence of crises,including a surge in returning nationals,natural disasters,and severe economic hardship,according to a recent United Nations Progress Program (UNDP) report. Since 2023,over 4.5 million Afghans have returned to the country,primarily from Iran and Pakistan,representing nearly one in ten afghans living abroad and increasing the national population by 10%. This influx is exacerbating existing pressures on already strained public services.
The returnees are facing dire circumstances. A survey of over 48,000 households revealed that more than half have been forced to forgo medical care to afford food, and 45% rely on unsafe water sources like open springs and unprotected wells. A staggering 90% of returning families are burdened with debt, averaging between $373 and $900 - a sum that can be up to five times the average monthly income of $100 and a significant portion of the country’s per-capita GDP.
The impact is especially acute in areas receiving large numbers of returnees. Schools are severely overcrowded, with one teacher often responsible for 70 to 100 students. Child labor is rampant, affecting 30% of children, and unemployment among returnees reaches a crippling 95%. Average monthly income stands at approximately $99.76, while rental costs have tripled, further squeezing household budgets.
Compounding these challenges, Afghanistan has been hit by a series of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and drought, resulting in the destruction of 8,000 homes. The UNDP warns that without immediate support to bolster livelihoods and essential services in areas with high returnee populations, the country risks a deepening cycle of poverty, exclusion, and further migration.
International aid, though, is falling short. Donor pledges have substantially decreased as 2021, covering only a fraction of the $3.1 billion the UN requested for Afghanistan this year. The Taliban government has appealed for international humanitarian assistance, particularly following a deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan in September, and has formally protested the mass expulsion of Afghan nationals by Pakistan, expressing “deeply concerned” about their treatment.
The situation is particularly critical for women. Female participation in the workforce has plummeted to 6%, one of the lowest rates globally. Restrictions on movement severely limit women’s access to employment, education, and healthcare, especially for the 26% of returnee families headed by women, who face the highest risk of food insecurity and displacement.
“In some provinces one in four households depend on women as the main breadwinner, so when women are prevented from working, families, communities, the country lose out,” stated Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for asia and the Pacific. The UNDP is urging the Taliban authorities to increase resource allocation and calling on international donors to remove restrictions on female aid workers, emphasizing that “Cutting women out of frontline aid work means cutting off vital services for those who need them most.”
