Afghan refugees returning home face additional earthquake crisis, United Nations Refugee Agency calls for financial assistance.

On the 12th local time, the United Nations Refugee Agency warned that Afghanistan is facing a "crisis within a crisis." With Pakistan accelerating the implementation of the "illegal repatriation plan for foreigners," approximately 2.6 million people have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries this year, with over 550,000 people returning since April, and nearly 100,000 people crossing the border in the first week of September alone. Many of the returnees are arriving in areas recently hit hard by earthquakes. The refugee agency stated that returning families are struggling to survive in poverty, drought, and damaged housing, with some individuals stepping foot in Afghanistan for the first time. The refugee agency and its partners are providing cash, shelter, and protection services. The agency called on Pakistan to continue its humanitarian policy to ensure voluntary, safe, and dignified returns, and emphasized that Afghanistan is unable to absorb more forced returnees. At the same time, the refugee agency urgently called on the international community to provide $259 million in funding, as it would otherwise be unable to sustain life-saving assistance for millions of families.