Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Afghan returnees from Pakistan were nearly three times more likely than those returning from Iran to receive multipurpose cash assistance, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM’s Afghanistan Returnee Resilience Report, published on September 28, examined the situation of returnees several months after their arrival in Afghanistan. The report found that 69 percent of returnees from Pakistan received multipurpose cash assistance, compared with 24 percent of those returning from Iran.
The report said returnees received various forms of assistance at border points, including cash, healthcare, food and SIM cards. Of the 1.93 million Afghans who returned from Iran and Pakistan between July and December 2025, 38 percent received cash assistance, according to the assessment.
The IOM report did not specify the amount of cash distributed during the period under review. Under an earlier IOM integrated assistance programme for returnees in 2024, however, families received a multipurpose cash grant of $140, alongside an average transportation allowance of $20 per person.
Food, shelter and livelihoods remain major concerns
Despite assistance at the border, returnees continue to face significant challenges after settling in Afghanistan. The IOM found that food was the most frequently reported immediate and longer-term need, with 69 percent of returnees reporting difficulties meeting their food needs.
Shelter was another major concern. About 67 percent of returnees needed assistance to secure safe housing, while 77 percent were living in temporary shelters and 51 percent said they lacked sufficient space for their families.
Livelihood opportunities were also limited. The report identified employment and income-generation as a major need for 56 percent of returnees. Only 5 percent had productive assets that could generate income, while 54 percent said their income during the 30 days before the interview was insufficient to meet basic needs.
The assessment was based on interviews with 1,547 returnees, including 888 who had returned from Pakistan and 659 from Iran. IOM assessed their circumstances roughly nine to 15 months after their return.
Despite economic difficulties and limited access to services, 75 percent of respondents said they did not intend to leave their current location during the following six months. Six percent said they planned to leave Afghanistan, while 5 percent intended to move elsewhere inside the country. Thirteen percent were uncertain about their plans.
The figures differed between families and individual returnees. About 76 percent of families said they did not plan to relocate, compared with 69 percent of individual returnees. Sixteen percent of individual returnees said they intended to leave Afghanistan again, compared with 4 percent of those returning with families.
Nearly 6.5 million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan since 2023
IOM says 6,473,978 Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan between September 15, 2023, and August 31, 2026. During the second half of 2025 alone, 1,931,418 people returned, including 1,138,374 from Iran and 793,044 from Pakistan.
Among those returning during the period covered by the report, 48 percent were women and 52 percent were men, while children under 18 accounted for 58 percent of the total.
The scale of the return movement has placed additional pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian and economic systems. The UN’s 2026 Response Plan for Afghan Returnees estimated that nearly 2.7 million Afghans could return between April and December 2026 and called for $529.2 million to support emergency assistance and longer-term reintegration in high-priority areas.
IOM has said its response includes border screening and registration, food, temporary accommodation, health and psychosocial support, protection services and transportation assistance, with more than 324,000 returnees from Iran and Pakistan reached during the first half of 2026.