The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the escalating conflict in the Middle East is worsening the humanitarian situation for Afghan children as families return from Iran to Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, UNICEF highlighted growing concerns over the increasing number of Afghan families arriving at border entry points after leaving Iran.
According to Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, many families are arriving at the Islam Qala Border Crossing in Herat Province and other entry points exhausted and uncertain about their future.
“We are already seeing too many mothers arriving at reception centres with their children, looking exhausted, overwhelmed and in need of immediate support,” Oyewale said.
He warned that the risks facing children would increase if the number of arrivals continues to grow.
UNICEF reported that nearly three million Afghans returned to Afghanistan in 2025, mainly from Iran and Pakistan.
The agency said around 60 percent of the returnees were families with children, putting additional pressure on already strained humanitarian resources in Afghanistan.
The organisation called for increased humanitarian assistance to meet the growing needs of returning families.
According to UNICEF, priority support areas include nutrition, healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene services for vulnerable children and their families.
The agency warned that without additional aid, the worsening regional crisis could further endanger thousands of displaced Afghan children.
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