The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has called for greater international investment to support the reintegration of Afghan returnees, warning that millions are returning under difficult circumstances while communities face poverty, limited services and restrictions on women and girls.
Speaking at the 77th session of UNHCR’s Executive Committee, the High Commissioner said nearly seven million people had returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries since late 2023, often under difficult conditions and not always voluntarily.
He said UN agencies and other partners, including the UN Refugee Agency and the United Nations Development Programme, were supporting reintegration efforts, but stressed that the scale of the challenges required significantly greater international assistance.
The High Commissioner also highlighted the restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls, sharing the words of a young Afghan girl he met in Kabul earlier this year.
The girl had written a poem for another Afghan girl about education, courage and hope, emphasizing that personal ability and worth were greater than any limitation.
“Never forget you’re not alone. Your voice matters and your dreams are valuable,” the girl wrote.
The High Commissioner said the young girl’s words had stayed with him, adding that Afghan girls should not have to be exceptional to enjoy what should be an ordinary future, including access to education, the freedom to make their own choices and the opportunity to become who they want to be.
He said Afghan girls and millions of others like them were not asking the international community to dream on their behalf, but to give them opportunities to fulfil their own aspirations.
He urged world leaders to ensure their commitments were reflected in concrete decisions and actions, saying the ability to make a difference was in their hands.
“History will remember how we choose to use it,” he said.
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