3.5
million Afghans are displaced inside the country due to conflict.
25
million Afghans live in poverty with more than half of the population reliant on humanitarian aid. Six million people are on the brink of famine and 1 million children face severe malnourishment.
80%
women and children make up 80 percent of all forcibly displaced within Afghanistan.
After more than 40 years, Afghan refugees continue to make up one of the largest and most protracted displacement situations under UNHCR’s mandate. The prolonged nature of the crisis has prompted intensified efforts to support Afghan refugees and the host communities in Iran and Pakistan that have generously accommodated them for over four decades.
More than 6 million Afghans have been driven out of their homes and their country by conflict, violence and poverty. It is estimated that 85 percent of Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan and Iran, which continue to host more than 1.3 million and 780,000 registered Afghan refugees respectively.
In 2021, events leading up to the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August exacerbated displacement throughout the country. More than 3 million people in the country remain displaced from their homes. The impact of the conflict on women and girls has been particularly devastating – 80 percent of all forcibly displaced within Afghanistan are women and children.
“Afghanistan’s displacement crisis is one of the largest and most protracted in UNHCR’s seven-decade history. We’re now seeing a third generation of Afghan children born in exile,’’ says UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
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UNHCR is on the ground aiding Afghan refugees and the forcibly displaced, but resources are stretched too thin. Your gift will offer hope for a safe future.
Despite challenging circumstances, the UN Refugee Agency is on the ground delivering lifesaving support to millions of displaced Afghans. The needs of those who have had to flee suddenly are acute, increasing demand for shelter, food, water and health services.
Responding to the most critical priorities, UNHCR has provided food, shelter, cash, hygiene and sanitary kits and other lifesaving assistance together with partners. UNHCR has also undertaken protection monitoring covering 34 provinces.
UNHCR continues to work with authorities in some of the countries neighboring Afghanistan to plan and prepare for potential future movements of Afghan refugees.
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Afghanistan Refugee Crisis Explained
UNHCR warns Afghanistan’s conflict taking the heaviest toll on displaced women and children
Afghan refugee children stand outside their shelter in a
refugee settlement in Pakistan.