Afghanistan

The Afghan carpet industry is a significant part of the country's economy and cultural heritage, providing livelihoods for millions and contributing significantly to exports.

At the border, families endure sweltering temperatures often topping 40°C, armed with the few belongings they could manage to pack. They find shade under blankets, while signs of malnutrition are evident in children, and many mothers appear worn down and anxious.

Meanwhile, UNHCR alongside partners is working to address the urgent needs of those arriving – food, water, shelter, protection. However its programmes are also under severe strain due to limited funding.

Meanwhile, the de facto authorities have conveyed grievances around frozen assets, sanctions, non-recognition, the need for greater development assistance, and an end to aid dependency.

The decline in support follows the suspension of US assistance, which previously accounted for nearly half of the international funding directed toward Afghanistan’s healthcare.

Since September 2023, nearly a million Afghans, 545,000 of them children, have returned, often with little more than a few belongings in hand and no clear idea of what lies ahead.

With reduced aid, already fragile services are deteriorating, and local efforts to compensate remain insufficient.

The Afghan caretaker government is working to assist the sudden influx of returnees. Local officials in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces have been coordinating transportation to help families return to their hometowns.