Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Between 10 April and 12 July 2025, more than 1.18 million people returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran, marking a significant shift in the humanitarian landscape. Notably, in just two weeks (1–12 July) alone, 348 064 individuals crossed through the country’s five main border points, with Islam Qala and Milak (from Iran) seeing a surge in returnee flows.
• WHO continued to operate across points of entry, reception centers, and host communities, ensuring returnees had timely access to life-saving health services. This included outpatient consultations, trauma care, disease surveillance, immunization support including polio vaccination, and the provision of essential medicines and supplies. By taking an integrated approach, WHO helped ensure that returnees were not only received, but also safely cared for and protected
• Through robust surveillance, WHO teams identified and responded to the most common health threats, including Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD), suspected COVID-19, and scabies helping prevent further spread and reduce community-level risk.
• With projections indicating 1.5 million undocumented returnees from Pakistan and 4.4 million more from Iran in 2025 (source: Border consortium report on 21 July 2025), WHO is ramping up its preparedness efforts ensuring that no family is left behind and every returnee has access to the care and dignity they deserve.