Afghanistan

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.

In line with Taliban practice, the punishment was carried out by family members of the murder victims, who shot the accused men in front of gathered crowds. Civil servants, military personnel, and ordinary citizens were invited to the events via official announcements widely circulated on Thursday.

The refugees contended that despite possessing valid documentation authorising their stay in Pakistan, they were being targeted in the expulsion drive, detained without cause, and in some cases deported.

The coming weeks will determine how the repatriation unfolds and whether diplomatic efforts can alter the course of what many fear could become one of the largest forced migrations in recent history.

Many Afghan women and girls are battling severe mental health issues, with some taking their own lives, others disappearing into Taliban prisons, and those with the means fleeing the country.

Despite the Islamic State’s setbacks in the Middle East, the assessment reveals that ISIS-K remains operationally capable and aggressive, leveraging its influence beyond South Asia to inspire and enable attacks across the globe.