WHO calls for urgent support to meet the health needs of record numbers of women and children at Afghanistan’s borders
8 July 2025, Kabul, Afghanistan – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan is deeply concerned about the health needs of Afghan returnees, particularly women and children, who have been arriving in record numbers through border points with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan.
Since April 2025, more than 836 000 returnees have crossed into Afghanistan through official points of entry, including Islam Qala, Torkham, Milak and Spinboldak, in what has become one of the country’s most urgent humanitarian challenges.
Returnees, including pregnant women, mothers with infants and unaccompanied children, arrive with little more than they can carry. Many are in desperate need of medical care, food and shelter. WHO-supported health teams are seeing a surge in wounds, infections, dehydration and undernutrition, particularly among children and the elderly.
With WHO support, more than 84 000 people have received basic health services at border crossings and reception centres. At Torkham alone, round-the-clock emergency care teams have treated over 850 injuries. In coordination with partners, WHO has administered 198 000 lifesaving vaccines, including polio and measles, helping protect vulnerable populations, especially children, against preventable diseases.
