UNHCR Limits Cash Aid for Afghan Returnees Amid Funding Shortfall

UNHCR has announced it will restrict cash assistance for Afghan returnees in Pakistan, citing severe global funding shortages that limit support to only the most vulnerable groups.

The UN refugee agency in Pakistan said on Saturday it can no longer provide cash assistance to all Afghan returnees because of a global funding shortage, restricting support to vulnerable families and holders of Proof-of-Registration (PoR) cards.

UNHCR said the funding crisis has slowed humanitarian operations and that cash aid for Afghan returnees was formally limited from Friday. The agency noted that not every returning Afghan will receive support under the new system, stressing that assistance will now be “targeted” to those registered with the organisation and PoR holders.

UNHCR acknowledged the severe hardship Afghan families face and said full aid could resume if additional donor funding becomes available.

The move comes as Pakistan accelerates deportations of undocumented Afghans, expelling about 7,000 people in a single day this week. Rights groups and UN experts have warned that the mass removals could worsen an already fragile humanitarian situation.

The UN Security Council has also raised concern, noting that ongoing deportations by Pakistan and Iran are complicating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid inside Afghanistan.

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