Over 1 mln Afghans return from Iran, Pakistan so far this year: IOM

More than 1 million Afghan refugees have returned or been deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran since the beginning of this year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday.

The undocumented returnees are burdened by debts, and without community support, said IOM Afghanistan on Twitter.

“More than a million Afghan migrants have returned or been deported to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan this year and are in urgent need of support,” it said.

The IOM protection teams are assisting the returnees at a challenging time, the agency said.

The statement came as the UN agencies, aid organizations and a number of non-governmental organizations are racing against time to deliver life-saving aid and supplies to crisis-hit Afghans ahead of winter.