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U.N. relief chief visits Kandahar as Afghan returnees surge; agencies seek $71 million
Summary
U.N. humanitarian officials reported overcrowded facilities and a sharp rise in returnees to Afghanistan; UNHCR said more than 251,000 Afghans returned in April and the agency requested $71 million for a nine-month regional response.
Tom Fletcher, U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator (as reported by the U.N. spokesperson), visited Kandahar and met local authorities to review humanitarian needs, the U.N. spokesperson said. Fletcher visited a reception center and Mirwais Regional Hospital, where medical teams are working to sustain critical care for mothers and newborns amid funding shortfalls.
Why it matters: Agencies warned that facility closures and funding cuts are straining health services; U.N. partners reported that more than 400 health facilities across Afghanistan have closed, denying primary health care to over 3,000,000 people.
The U.N. spokesperson said facilities are overcrowded and that medical staff must make "impossible choices" about which patients to prioritize because resources are limited. UNHCR reported that in April more than 251,000 Afghans returned from neighboring countries in adverse circumstances, including approximately 96,000 people who were deported; the agency called for returns to be voluntary, safe and dignified.
UNHCR and other agencies warned that forced or pressured returns could deepen a humanitarian crisis and destabilize the region. Amid funding uncertainties, UNHCR called for $71,000,000 to respond to the crisis across the region for a nine-month period. The briefing did not announce new funding commitments from member states.
