In the days before a return deadline set for Sunday, tens of thousands of Afghans crossed the border from Iran, creating an “emergency” situation at border crossings, according to the United Nations.Iranian authorities said that out of six million Afghans living in Iran, about four million could be affected by a late May order asking them to leave the country by July 6.Unicef’s representative in Afghanistan, Tajudeen Oyewale, called the situation an “emergency” in a country already facing a “chronic returnee crisis.” He said that 1.4 million Afghans have returned this year from long-time host countries like Iran and Pakistan.Men, women, and even entire families are crossing the border with little money or belongings. “What is concerning is that 25 percent of all these returnees are children… because the demographics have shifted,” Oyewale was quoted as saying to news agency AFP on Thursday.The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday that the number of people crossing the border has gone up since mid-June. On July 1, about 43,000 people crossed into Herat province through Islam Qala border. More than 250,000 Afghans returned from Iran in June alone, according to the UN migration agency (IOM).“When you start hitting more than 20,000 people (a day) that is completely beyond the planning scenario that we have,” said Oyewale. He explained that while the border crossing at Islam Qala can handle the large number of people, it struggles to provide services.The UN is improving water and sanitation facilities meant for 7,000–10,000 people a day. It is also running vaccination campaigns, providing nutrition support, and setting up spaces for children.Many Afghans risk being deported or arrested. Aref Atayi, 38, told AFP, “Some people are so afraid that they don’t leave the house themselves… They send their young children out just for a piece of bread, and even those children get arrested sometimes.”The UN, international aid groups, and Taliban officials have all asked for more support for the returnees. Foreign aid to Afghanistan has been cut heavily in recent years. The UN has urged countries not to force Afghans to return, saying the country is already struggling with poverty, high unemployment, and climate change.The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the US and Nato forces withdrew.
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