Help Families in Afghanistan and Worldwide

When Pakistan recently announced that undocumented foreigners residing in the country must leave by November 1, 2023 or face deportation, it put 1.7 million Afghan livesat risk. Thoseaffected are now forced to embark on arduous journeys through rough terrain, which has left women and children particularly vulnerable to harsh conditions and exploitation. Every day, 300 families are arriving in Torkham, Afghanistan, having returned from Pakistan, with some 200,000 Afghans having already left.Many, including young children, arrive with injuries to their feet and faces as they have fallen during their travels. With 29.2 million people in Afghanistan already in need of humanitarian support and winter quickly approaching, the IRC is concerned that the crisis will further strain the limited resources available in the country. 

What conditions are deported Afghans experiencing? 

The Afghans returning from Pakistan—many of whom have not lived in Afghanistanfor decades—face a bleak future. The country is still reeling from decades of conflict, economic crisis and recent devastating earthquakes. Over 6.1 million people are internally displaced and living in dire conditions. The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is exceptionally challenging and needs will likely only worsen as a harsh winter approaches. 

What is the IRC doing to support deported Afghans? 

The IRC has been in Afghanistan since 1988 and works with thousands of villages across twelve provinces. More widely, we are continuing to work with local communities to manage development projects, provide safe learning spaces, community-based education in rural areas, basic health services to remote and hard to access communities and uprooted families with tents, clean water and sanitation. 

The IRC is providing critical support to Afghans arriving at camps at the crossing area in Torkham, Nangarhar. The IRC has deployed a mobile health team that has reached over 9,500 people with emergency medical care, maternal healthcare, nutrition services and mental health support. Meanwhile, the IRC is also delivering psychosocial support for vulnerable groups, including women and children, installing latrines and waste management sites and delivering information on the prevention of communicable diseases. You can learn more about IRC’s work in Afghanistan.  

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