As temperatures begin to drop across the region, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued an urgent warning regarding the critical plight of thousands of families returning to Afghanistan. Highlighting that vulnerable households lack basic survival necessities, the agency stressed that humanitarian assistance must be delivered immediately rather than delayed until the peak of winter.
In an official statement released on social media, OCHA emphasized: “Winter does not wait, and humanitarian assistance should not be delayed either.” Returning populations face severe shortages of adequate shelter, heating equipment, winter clothing, and protective support. International migration monitors note that more than half of all returning individuals and families are currently unable to meet their fundamental daily needs, compounded by widespread economic instability, chronic food insecurity, and a severe lack of local employment opportunities.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly pointed out that mass displacement and ongoing repatriation waves from neighboring countries have placed immense strain on local communities. While international bodies have appealed for hundreds of millions of dollars to fund comprehensive reintegration and seasonal support frameworks, persistent funding shortfalls continue to limit aid agencies’ operational capacities. Without immediate, unhindered resource mobilization, returning families face life-threatening conditions as harsh winter weather sets in across Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain.