UNICEF: Over 5,000 Afghan Children Separated from Families Amid Forced Deportations from Iran

Photo: @Af_Journalist / X

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that more than 5,000 Afghan children have been separated from their families due to the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, wrote in a message on his X page on Sunday (29 June): “On average, 20,000 migrants enter Afghanistan from Iran each day. One-quarter of them are children.”

He added that the mass deportation process has led to the separation of more than 5,000 children from their family members.

According to Oyewale, UNICEF is providing support at the border crossings in Herat province in areas such as health, nutrition, and access to clean water for returnees.

This comes as reports indicate that more than 100,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran in just the past week.