Published On 23 May 2025
A deepening humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Afghanistan as neighbouring countries force tens of thousands of Afghans to return home.
More than 280,000 Afghans were deported or pressured to leave Pakistan and Iran in April alone. Many arrived destitute, desperately needing assistance to rebuild their lives. Their stories reveal the precarious futures they now face.
Ezatullah, 45, recently entered Afghanistan through the Torkham border with his wife and seven children.
“They told us to leave urgently,” he said. “All of our belongings were left behind; everything was lost. We now have nothing.”
Born and raised in Pakistan, Ezatullah worked as a labourer in Rawalpindi his entire life. Now he faces the daunting challenge of supporting his family in a country he’s never known – one where unemployment and poverty have escalated dramatically, leaving half the population reliant on humanitarian aid for survival.
Pakistan and Iran have hosted the majority of the region’s 5.25 million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers for decade