UN Women has recently warned that Afghan women and girls returning from Iran and Pakistan are at risk of early marriage, violence, and abuse.
In a report released today (Thursday, August 7), the organization stated that returnee women and girls are highly dependent on humanitarian aid, and after returning to the country, their access to community life, humanitarian assistance, and personal freedoms becomes severely restricted.
The agency emphasized that one-third of those returning from Iran are women, and nearly half of those deported from Pakistan are also women and girls.
According to reports published by national and international organizations, 2.43 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran and Pakistan since last year.
The UN Women report further stated: “The arrival of vulnerable women and girls, empty-handed, into communities already on the brink of collapse exposes them to even greater dangers.”
The organization added that safe shelter, livelihoods, and education for girls are the most urgent needs expressed by women and girls.
The UN also warned that the ability of female-headed households to access humanitarian assistance and support their families has significantly decreased.
It has called on the international community and aid organizations to take immediate action to support Afghan women and girls.
This comes as the UN has previously documented cases in which returnees from neighboring countries have faced detention, torture, and imprisonment.
Currently, the deportation and return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan continues at a rapid pace.
Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran report that one million Afghan migrants have already been deported.
Recently, Iran has ordered all undocumented migrants to leave the country. Iranian officials have provided varying statistics regarding the number of undocumented migrants.
According to some estimates, the number of undocumented Afghan migrants in Iran may reach four million.
In addition, several million Afghan migrants also reside in Pakistan. Recently, the residency cards of over one million individuals have expired, and the Pakistani government has yet to decide whether to extend or terminate them.
