Save the Children: Over 80,000 Afghan Children Returned from Iran in One Month

Photo: MOHSEN KARIMI/AFP

The international organization Save the Children says that in the month of June alone, more than 80,000 Afghan children have returned from Iran to Afghanistan, a figure that has doubled compared to the previous month and has placed Afghanistan's service infrastructure on the brink of collapse.

According to the report published on Wednesday (2 July), 6,700 of these children were unaccompanied, and 39 percent of all the children were forcibly deported from Iran.

Save the Children states that after the ceasefire was announced between Iran and Israel on the 29 June, more than 36,000 people entered Afghanistan from Iran in a single day. In response to this situation, the organization has set up two support centers in Herat province, providing psychological services and safe play spaces for children.

Samira Sid Rahman, Advocacy Director at Save the Children, said, “Many families arrive with only what they can carry. They are tired, frightened, and worried.” She called on the international community not to remain indifferent and to take serious action in response to this crisis.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia, during a visit to the Islam Qala border, stated that thousands of children cross through this checkpoint into Afghanistan every day and are in urgent need of assistance. In a video message, he said, “A lot is being done, but the needs are immense.”

Wijesekera emphasized that all partner organizations are striving to provide services. He urged the global community to take action to support these children.

This comes as the United Nations Population Fund has announced that the total number of Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan has surpassed one million.