Afghan Returnees From Pakistan Received More Cash Assistance Than Those From Iran

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA):  The IOM’s latest assessment found that only 38% of the roughly 1.9 million people who returned to Afghanistan between July and December 2025 received multipurpose cash assistance. Among returnees from Pakistan, 69% received such support, compared with 24% of those returning from Iran.

The report, titled Afghanistan Returnees Reintegration Overview, warned that many returnees continue to face serious shortages of food, housing and employment after returning to Afghanistan.

The IOM did not specify the amount of cash distributed under the programme covered by the latest assessment. It noted that a 2024 assistance programme had provided $140 per family, along with approximately $20 per person to cover transportation costs. Returnees have also received assistance at border points, including healthcare, food support and SIM cards.

According to the assessment, 69% of returnees reported difficulties accessing food, while 67% said they needed assistance to secure safe housing. Around 77% were living in temporary accommodation.

Employment and livelihoods were also identified as major concerns. Some 56% of respondents identified access to jobs and livelihood opportunities as a priority need, while only 5% reported having productive assets that could generate income.

Despite these economic challenges, 75% of those surveyed said they did not intend to leave their current place of residence during the following six months.

The assessment was based on interviews with 1,547 returnees, including 888 people who had returned from Pakistan and 659 from Iran. Their situations were assessed approximately nine to 15 months after their return.

The IOM said that more than 6.5 million Afghans had returned from Iran and Pakistan between September 2023 and the end of August 2026. Of the approximately 1.9 million people who returned during the second half of 2025, 58% were children.

The findings highlight the continuing humanitarian and socioeconomic pressures facing Afghan returnees, particularly in access to basic necessities, stable housing and sustainable sources of income.