Kabul, Sept. 17: Thousands of Afghan children deported from Iran and Pakistan are struggling to reunite with their families, many of whom remain outside the country, Tolo News reported on Monday.
The High Commission for Refugee Affairs said efforts were underway to locate the families and reunite children with their relatives.
Painful Stories of Forced Returns
One child deported from Iran recounted his ordeal:
“They told a few people: when you return to Afghanistan, take this boy with you and at the border claim he is your son. Once you reach Afghanistan, release him so he can live on his own.”
Another child deported from Pakistan said he only wished to be back with his parents and siblings.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, spokesperson for the Commission of Refugee Affairs, confirmed some children have been reunited with their families, while others remain in orphanages.
Samiullah Ebrahimi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, added that the ministry was working closely with the Foreign Ministry to trace the children’s families and hand them over safely.
Scale of the Crisis
In June alone, Save the Children reported that 80,000 Afghan children were deported from Iran, nearly 6,700 of them unaccompanied.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that over three million people in Afghanistan remain displaced due to conflict and instability, with urgent humanitarian aid needed to prevent a worsening crisis.
The UNHCR has appealed to donor governments for immediate assistance, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and children. Aid agencies have warned that with winter approaching, lack of resources could deepen poverty, hunger, and displacement across the country.