Red Cross Warns of New Wave of Afghan Deportees from Iran

Red Cross Warns of New Wave of Afghan Deportees from Iran
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The Red Cross has warned that up to one million more Afghans could be deported from Iran by the end of the year, adding to what aid groups describe as an already severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Over 1.2 million Afghans have been returned from Iran so far this year, according to the UN refugee agency, with deportations increasing sharply since recent military escalations between Iran and Israel.

Sami Fakhouri, Head of Delegation for Afghanistan at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said he recently witnessed busloads of returnees arriving at the Islam Qala border in Herat province. “The majority didn’t have a say in coming back. They were put on buses and driven to the border,” Fakhouri said during a briefing in Geneva, noting that many deportees have lived in Iran for years and are now homeless.

The influx is straining limited aid resources. The IFRC’s 25 million Swiss franc appeal to assist returnees is only 10% funded so far. The UN’s Babar Baloch said tens of thousands are arriving daily, with more than 50,000 crossing on July 4 alone, warning that forced returns risk family separations and lasting psychological harm.