EU allocates 20 million euros to support returnees in Afghanistan
The European Union has announced a new 20 million euros funding package for the International Organization for Migration to expand assistance for returnees, internally displaced people, and host communities in high-return areas across Afghanistan.
The funding comes as Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, compounded by the growing number of Afghans returning from neighboring countries.
Mutya Maskun, Deputy Chief of Mission for IOM Afghanistan, said the contribution will enable the organization to expand critical support, strengthen livelihoods, support small businesses, and improve access to essential services through Community Resource Centres.
Meanwhile, Veronika Bošković Pohar reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to helping returnees reintegrate and move toward self-reliance. She noted that since 2022, the European Union has mobilized more than 140 million euros to address displacement-related challenges in Afghanistan.
According to IOM data, more than 2.8 million undocumented Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 alone. Many returnees face significant challenges, including limited access to housing, livelihoods, and basic services.
The new funding will support protection services, healthcare, psychosocial assistance, livelihood and recovery programs, vocational training, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. It will also strengthen IOM’s network of Community Resource Centres, which provide information, counseling, legal aid, protection services, and health support to returnees and vulnerable communities across Afghanistan.
