UN Agencies Warn of Deepening Crisis for Afghan Women and Girls Returning Home

Afghan women and girls returning from Iran and Pakistan are facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with many arriving to communities already under crippling economic, environmental, and political pressures, according to a joint warning issued by UN Women and CARE International.

Since September 2023, more than 2.43 million undocumented Afghans have returned — many through forced repatriations. In 2025 alone, women and girls have accounted for roughly one-third of returnees from Iran and half of all returnees from Pakistan. A significant number are returning to a country they have never lived in, with no home, no income, and no access to education or healthcare.

Life After Return: Displacement Within Displacement

Afghanistan is already enduring one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises — a result of decades of conflict, entrenched poverty, climate shocks, and ongoing political instability. Returnee women and girls face an overlap of vulnerabilities:

• Heightened poverty risk due to lack of livelihoods and property.

• Early and forced marriage as families struggle to survive.

• Exposure to violence and exploitation in the absence of social protections.

• Restrictions on movement and rights under Afghanistan’s current laws and policies, limiting their ability to work, study, or travel.

“Vulnerable women and girls arriving with nothing into communities that are already stretched to breaking point puts them at even greater risk,” said Susan Ferguson, UN Women Afghanistan Special Representative. “They are determined to rebuild with dignity, but we need more funding to provide the dedicated support they need and to ensure women humanitarian workers are there to reach them.”

Findings From the New Gender in Humanitarian Action Report

The Afghanistan Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group — co-chaired by UN Women and CARE International — has documented the urgent needs of returnee women and girls:

• Shelter and Housing: Only 10% of women-headed households live in permanent shelters; nearly 40% fear eviction.

• Livelihoods: Access to jobs is hindered by gender-based restrictions and lack of training or resources.

• Education: Girls are banned from secondary education, cutting them off from future opportunities.

• Humanitarian Access: Women-headed households and single women face severe barriers to receiving aid, including lack of documentation, safety concerns, and mobility restrictions.

• Women Humanitarian Workers: Essential for reaching women and girls, but increasingly limited by aid funding cuts and movement restrictions.

Overwhelmed at the Borders

At the Islam Qala border with Iran and other crossing points, women humanitarian workers report being inundated by the sheer number of arrivals. The flow of distressed, disoriented families often exceeds their capacity to provide even basic services.

“Witnessing the volume of arrivals and the hardship faced by women, children and families — many distressed, disoriented and without hope — has left a deep impact on all of us responding to this crisis,” said Graham Davison, CARE Afghanistan Director. “We urgently need support to provide basic services, safe spaces, and protection for returnee women and girls.”

Impact of Funding Cuts

Massive reductions in international humanitarian funding have crippled the ability of aid organizations to respond effectively. The shortage of resources not only impacts direct aid delivery but also restricts the deployment of female humanitarian staff, who play a critical role in culturally sensitive outreach and support.

The Broader Humanitarian Picture

Afghanistan’s humanitarian landscape is already strained by:

• Decades of armed conflict and instability.

• Economic collapse following international sanctions and frozen assets.

• Climate-driven disasters, including droughts and floods.

• Systemic restrictions on women’s rights, severely limiting their participation in public life.

The arrival of millions of returnees risks tipping vulnerable communities into deeper crisis, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure, job opportunities, and services are scarce.

Call to the International Community

UN Women and CARE are urging immediate action to:

1. Protect the rights of Afghan women and girls, including the right to education and work.

2. Invest in women-led humanitarian response, ensuring female aid workers can operate freely.

3. Provide sustained funding for safe shelters, livelihoods, education, and health services tailored to women’s needs.

4. Address root causes of displacement and forced returns through coordinated regional diplomacy and protection mechanisms.

The agencies stress that without urgent, targeted, and sustained international assistance, the future of Afghan returnee women and girls will be marked by deprivation, exclusion, and continued violation of fundamental rights.