UN Official Says Afghans Flee War in Iran Only to Face Another Crisis in Afghanistan

A United Nations official says thousands of Afghan migrants living in Iran are crossing the border back into Afghanistan every day due to ongoing attacks by the United States and Israel. The UN refugee agency warns that many Afghans are leaving Iran amid growing insecurity and fear caused by the escalating conflict.

Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera that returning Afghans are effectively “fleeing one war only to arrive in another.” He said many of the returnees are heading back to a country already facing tensions and instability.

According to Jamal, Afghanistan is currently experiencing heightened tensions along its border with Pakistan, making the situation even more difficult for returning migrants. “For these people, there are no good choices,” he said, describing the harsh realities facing displaced Afghan families.

The UN official said many Afghans are escaping the wartime conditions that people inside Iran are currently experiencing. Fear of airstrikes and the deteriorating security situation have pushed many migrants to leave the country.

Jamal said that since the beginning of this year alone, around 110,000 Afghan migrants have left Iran. He added that the departures appear to be largely preventive, as families attempt to avoid the worst consequences of the conflict.

Afghanistan has long hosted large numbers of returnees from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, where millions of Afghans have lived as refugees or migrant workers for decades.

Humanitarian organizations warn that Afghanistan’s fragile economy and limited aid funding make it difficult to absorb large numbers of returning migrants, many of whom arrive with few resources or support networks.

The UN refugee agency says urgent humanitarian assistance will be needed to support the growing number of returnees, as continued regional tensions risk worsening displacement across the region.

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