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UN PhotoUNICEF / IRAN AFGHANISTAN RETURNEES
STORY: UNICEF / IRAN AFGHANISTAN RETURNEES
TRT: 03:20
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2025, ISLAM-QALA BORDER, HERAT PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN
1. Various shots, Afghan returnees gather near the Islam-Qala border, near Herat in western Afghanistan
2. Wide shot, UNICEF supported water truck drives amongst Afghan returnees at Islam-Qala border
3. Medium shot, UNICEF supported water truck delivers water to a water tank at Islam-Qala border
4. Wide shot, tent with UNICEF signage. The tent is a gathering point for children who are lost in at the Islam-Qala border. An announcer is advising parents to take care of their children and come visit the tent if they have lost a child.
5. Medium shot, women and children drink at a UNICEF provided safe water point
6. Wide shot, a water tank is being filled with safe water from a UNICEF provided water truck
7. Various shots, Afghan returnees waiting at the IOM registration area at Islam-Qala border point
8. Various shots, women and children gather at a UNICEF supported health and nutrition unit at Islam-Qala border point where they receive vaccinations and are screened for malnutrition
9. Wide shot, children and caretakers at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space at Islam-Qala border point
10. Medium shot, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, interacts with children at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space at Islam-Qala border point
11. Close up shot, children drawing at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space at Islam-Qala border point
12. Wide shot, UNICEF-supported sanitation facility at Islam-Qala border point
13. Wide shot, Afghan returnees gather near the Islam-Qala border, near Herat in western Afghanistan
14. Medium shot, children at the Islam-Qala border point
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan:
“Today we’ve received close to 30,000 individuals returning from Iran into Afghanistan. This number is beyond our capacity. This number is beyond our preparedness planning. 25 per cent of all returns are children and these are children that need our support. But more importantly for us is the proportion of unaccompanied and separated children in their midst. Since January this year, UNICEF has provided support to close to 4,000 unaccompanied children and only today we were able to record around 47 unaccompanied children or separated minors in this reception centre, who are now being moved into the transit centre where there will be further documentation, family tracing and, hopefully, eventually, reunification.”
June 2025 has seen a significant surge in the number of families being deported from Iran to Afghanistan, which is a new and concerning trend, as returnees deported in previous months were predominantly single young men.
Over 256,000 Afghans returned from Iran via the Islam-Qala Border near Herat in June alone, averaging up to 20,000 per day towards the end of the month. Children account for a quarter of these returnees including over 5,000 unaccompanied and separated children.
Returnees are arriving in highly vulnerable conditions, with depleted resources, limited access to shelter, food, water, health care, and protection services. The situation constitutes an acute humanitarian emergency, with immediate and medium-term implications for stability, protection, and recovery in already fragile border provinces.
UNICEF is scaling up specialized child protection services, while also delivering on essential health, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), nutrition, and education interventions. This is done in close coordination with local authorities and partners, ensuring that the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable – especially women and children – are upheld.
